“It seems that modern techniques are unable to extract DNA, or at least sufficiently well-preserved DNA, from amber inclusions (organisms trapped in amber). Amber, fossilized tree resin, has provided a remarkable window into the past, with numerous types of small animals and plants preserved in superb detail. In this case, the amber offered the first direct evidence of a parasite-host relationship between ticks and feathered dinosaurs. The characteristics of the feather being grasped by an immature tick did not allow the researchers to pinpoint a specific type of feathered dinosaur that was the parasite’s blood meal. Two of the Dracula ticks provided additional indirect evidence of these parasites feeding on dinosaurs.

Source: The Express Tribune December 13, 2017 10:07 UTC