Reconsidering publication policy:
What do reproducibility and accessibility mean in science? The best way to ensure long-term survival of data on extinct organisms is to collect and disseminate the data while it is currently available, before it is too late.
Preprint: Saitta 2020. PaleorXiv
Keratin proteins? Replication vs. Validation:
Antibody stains used to identify keratin protein in fossils might be adhering to substances other than keratin. Repeating the method does not always provide additional insight. Instead, triangulating results with other methods suggests that proteins do not preserve in Mesozoic fossils. Organic fossil feathers are preserved via more stable melanin pigment.
Study: Saitta & Vinther 2019 Palaeontologia Electronica
Evan T. Saitta, Ph.D. 