All Earth

Recent Advances in Biomolecular Paleontology

Fossil biomolecules are at the frontier of paleontological research, offering unprecedented insights into the evolution, physiology and ecology of ancient organisms. Recent advances in experimental design, laboratory protocols and analytical chemical techniques have greatly expanded the range and quality of biological information accessible from the rock record.

Biomolecular preservation in fossils, however, is highly variable and controlled by a complex interplay of biological, environmental and geochemical factors. This taphonomic complexity presents a major challenge for the field: distinguishing authentic biomolecular signals from abiotic organic compounds, degradation products and contamination requires rigorous and reproducible methodologies within a taphonomic framework. The integration of novel taphonomic experiments with analytical approaches is essential to fully explore the biomolecular fidelity of the fossil record. Importantly, defining best practices in molecular paleontology will strengthen future claims and interpretations of ancient molecules.

Ancient biomolecules are essential for addressing paleontological questions that cannot be resolved from morphology alone. Fossil biomolecules have the potential to inform on evolutionary relationships, the origins of metabolic pathways, organism-environment interactions and physiological adaptations – but only when identified with confidence. Realizing this potential, however, depends on a deep understanding of molecular stability, degradation pathways and the biological and geological conditions that control preservation.

The advancement of molecular paleontology therefore requires an increase in reproducible experimental designs, rigor in analytical protocols and interdisciplinary collaboration. When well-designed taphonomic experiments are paired with the novel use of analytical techniques, researchers can better test hypotheses on preservation mechanisms and diagenetic processes and, importantly, establish strict criteria for identifying biomolecular signatures in fossil data. This collection highlights best practices and emerging approaches to chart the future of molecular paleontology so that we may expand our understanding of the biochemical evolution of ancient life.

This Article Collection aims to increase discipline-wide confidence in reports of ancient biomolecules. It will bring together diverse reviews and case studies that increase the ability to detect biomolecular signatures in fossils across the geological timeline. These papers also critically evaluate the taphonomic, methodological, and interpretative challenges in molecular paleontology.

We invite contributions on topics including, but not limited to, experimental design, wet laboratory protocols, sample preparation methods, fossil pigments, paleoproteomics, isotopes, aDNA, lipids, mineral-organic interactions, contamination, data analysis protocols, computational approaches and interdisciplinary studies. We welcome original research articles, reviews and methodological papers that advance our understanding of the preservation of ancient biomolecules, analytical best practices and innovative approaches in molecular paleontology.

Article Collection Guest Advisors

Tiffany Slater is a paleobiologist interested in fossil biomolecules and the insights they provide into macroevolutionary events. Her research takes an experimental approach to explore whether biomolecules can survive fossilization, and which analytical techniques are best suited for their detection. This work deepens our understanding of ancient life by revealing molecular stories held in organically preserved fossils.

Valentina Rossi a paleontologist with interdisciplinary expertise in soft tissue preservation in fossils, geochemistry, and analytical imaging. Her training in geology, paleontology and experimental taphonomy has given her a solid foundation in both field- and lab-based approaches. During her career, she has specialized in the study of metal-melanin associations using synchrotron-based chemical analysis and the study of melanin molecules in deep time using Raman spectroscopy and advanced multivariate statistical analysis. She is particularly interested in the taphonomy of melanin pigments and how their preservation may impact our interpretation of fossilized pigmented tissues in the fossil record.

Submission information

­­All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo a full peer-review; the Guest Advisors for this Collection will not be handling manuscripts. Please review the journal scope and author submission instructions prior to submitting a manuscript. The deadline for submitting manuscripts is 31 December 2026. Please contact Alex Johnson at alex.johnson@tandf.co.uk with any queries and discount codes regarding this Article Collection. Please be sure to select the appropriate Article Collection from the drop-down menu in the submission system, and please select Planetary Change & Paleosciences from the list of available sections during submission. Failure to select the appropriate Article Collection or Section name can result in delays. The Guest Advisors of this Article Collection have declared no conflict of interests in putting together this call for papers.