Experts Question Viability of Lab-Grown T. rex Leather Amid Claims of Innovation

A marketing agency located in the US, VML, has joined forces with Dutch biotechnology company The Organoid Company and UK’s Lab-Grown Leather Ltd to produce high-end fashion accessories made from T-rex leather. This partnership asserts that their lab-cultivated T-rex leather will provide natural durability, ease of repair, and pleasing tactile qualities, presenting an ecological and humane substitute for conventional leather. The material will utilize collagen from fossilized T. rex remains, a protein responsible for the structural integrity of skin and tissues. However, experts in dinosaur studies express doubt, pointing out that there is no available DNA from the ancient predator that is essential for creating authentic T. rex leather. Moreover, paleontologists have only identified T. rex collagen in the fossilized bones, not in the skin.

Skepticism from Researchers

In an email sent to Live Science, Thomas Holtz, Jr., a vertebrate paleontologist at the University of Maryland, expressed that he finds the claim regarding T. rex leather to be «misleading» after reviewing the announcement, suggesting it borders on fantasy.

DNA decomposes post-mortem, and scientists have yet to locate any DNA specimens from the time of dinosaurs. The oldest known preserved DNA is roughly 2 million years old, while T. rex became extinct along with other non-avian dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Holtz further highlights that there is a lack of quality tyrannosaurid skin specimens since soft tissues such as skin are infrequently found in fossils. Consequently, researchers have limited knowledge regarding the properties of T. rex skin.

The Use of Dinosaur Collagen

The forthcoming leather, themed around T. rex, will be derived from T. rex collagen, which has been found in some fossil records. T. rex collagen, which was previously thought to have been eradicated during fossilization, has now been discovered in certain dinosaur bones. Researchers like Thomas Carr, an associate professor of biology at Carthage College and director of the Carthage Institute of Palaeontology in Wisconsin, remain doubtful about the application of T. rex collagen for leather production. Carr asserts that the comprehension of T. rex collagen remains inadequate due to the fragmented fossilized polypeptides.

Experts in dinosaur studies also harbor doubts, as there is no available DNA from the ancient creature necessary for producing true T. rex leather. Furthermore, leather is fundamentally derived from skin, yet paleontologists have only located T. rex collagen in bones rather than skin.