Paleontology “Rocked” by Dinosaur Collagen?

Not for Those Who Take God at His Word.

A report in Analytical Chemistry (January 17, 2025) from the University of Liverpool announced that researchers have detected remnants of original collagen, the main structural protein in bone, inside a 66-million-year-old Edmontosaurus sacrum (hip bone) from South Dakota’s Hell Creek Formation. Using mass spectrometry, protein sequencing, and other advanced techniques, the team (including collaborators from UCLA) claims the molecules are endogenous, not contamination. Professor Steve Taylor stated that the results “show beyond doubt that organic biomolecules appear to be present in some fossils” and “refutes the hypothesis that any organics found in fossils must result from contamination.” The paper, published in Analytical Chemistry (2025), adds to the growing body of evidence that soft-tissue remnants can survive in dinosaur bones.

We rejoice in every new discovery that aligns with the plain reading of Scripture, and this one fits perfectly. The Bible describes a young earth created in six literal days (Genesis 1, Exodus 20:11) and a global Flood about 4,500 years ago that buried billions of creatures rapidly in water-laid sediments. Hell Creek itself is a classic Flood deposit, massive, cross-bedded sandstones and mudstones full of disarticulated dinosaur remains mixed with marine creatures. Finding intact collagen fragments in an Edmontosaurus hip bone is exactly what we would expect from animals catastrophically entombed during Noah’s Flood, not from creatures that supposedly died 66 million years earlier.

Anal. Chem. 2025, 97, 5, 2618-2628

Proteins like collagen do not last millions of years. Laboratory experiments and real-world observations show they break down chemically far too quickly. Yet here we have another dinosaur fossil yielding original biomolecules. This is not “rocking paleontology” for Bible-believing scientists. It is confirmation of what we have been saying for years.

Pioneering Work of Dr. Mark Armitage and Dr. Wright’s Collaboration

Long before this latest headline, Dr. Mark Armitage pioneered the careful documentation of soft tissue in dinosaur bones. Working as a creationist researcher and founder of the Dinosaur Soft Tissue Research Institute, Dr. Armitage has published peer-reviewed findings of osteocytes (bone cells), blood vessels, red blood cells, nerve fibers, and flexible collagen matrices in Triceratops horns and other specimens. His meticulous lab work repeatedly demonstrated that these structures are original to the dinosaur, not modern contaminants or bacterial biofilms.

Dr. Wright had the privilege of working directly with Dr. Armitage in his laboratory in 2021. Dr. Wright helped set up and calibrate equipment, assisted in sample preparation, and witnessed firsthand the extraordinary preservation of these biomolecules. That hands-on experience strengthened his conviction that dinosaur soft tissue is powerful evidence for the historical reality of the Genesis Flood. Exhibits at The Flood Museum feature Dr. Armitage’s groundbreaking discoveries, showing how these finds demolish the idea of deep time and affirm the biblical timeline.

The University of Liverpool team now joins a growing list of researchers (including the original Mary Schweitzer work from 2005 onward) who keep stumbling upon the same truth that creation scientists have been publishing for decades: dinosaur bones can and do contain original organic molecules. The only “mystery” is how secular scientists continue to be surprised. When you start with God’s Word instead of millions-of-years assumptions, the data make perfect sense. Rapid burial in mineral-rich Flood waters, followed by quick mineralization, shielded these delicate proteins from complete decay, just as we see in many other Flood-fossil localities.

This Edmontosaurus discovery is yet another reminder that the fossil record is not a record of slow, gradual evolution over eons. It is a snapshot of God’s judgment on a wicked world (Genesis 6–9) and a testament to His power to preserve evidence for those with eyes to see. We will keep highlighting these finds because they point people back to the authority of Scripture, the historicity of the global Flood, and the hope we have in our Creator and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Dinosaur Soft-tissue Exhibit at The Flood Museum

If you haven’t yet visited the museum exhibits or read the articles here, we invite you to explore the evidence for yourself. Dinosaur soft tissue isn’t a problem for the Bible. It is powerful confirmation that God’s Word is true from the very first verse.