Are Prehistoric Purses Made of T-Rex Leather the Next Big Thing in Fashion?

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Instead of focusing mainly on dinosaurs, their creation, containment, and the chaos that ensues after they escape in the Jurassic Park series (set to return this summer with Jurassic World Rebirth), it seems the franchise overlooks a crucial aspect that piques our curiosity: the merchandise and collectibles you can find at the Jurassic Park gift shop.

According to the latest news reports, it appears that items crafted using authentic T-rex hide might soon become available for purchase. However, certain experts claim that these products could be deception rather than genuine T-rex remnants.

For More on T. rex:

Was it that T-rex arms decreased in size to prevent them from being snacks? Let me introduce you to Rexy’s intimidating Tyrannosaur relative, Tyrannosaurus mcraeensi. Scientists hypothesize that countless T-rexes once ruled North America.

Tech companies announce project to create actual T. rex leather

Three firms – communications specialist VML, genetics engineering company The Organoid Company, and biotech firm Lab-Groth Leather Ltd. – have revealed their collaboration to manufacture synthetic leather using Tyrannosaurus Rex genetic material.

As per the announcement, The Organoid Company will finish genome engineering and subsequently transfer the genetic data into their Advanced Tissue Engineering Platform (ATEP), which is developed from Lab-Grown Leather. VML’s role seems to be more about innovation know-how rather than specific contributions. The joint effort aims at creating a future-generation, eco-friendly luxury material using T. rex collagen as a model. This could potentially lead to items such as purses or boots that resemble T. rex leather.

The partnership aims to recreate protein sequences from Tyrannosaurus rex collagen, utilizing sophisticated large-scale DNA and protein models. By doing so, cells can be grown and, eventually, leather produced which carries the distinctive “biological signature” of a T. rex. Essentially, Leather-Grown Lab is working on creating the first leather material that mirrors the genetic makeup of an extinct dinosaur species.

Why you probably can’t make leather from T. rex collagen

Collagen, a frequent protein in animal bodies, can be found in various parts such as skin, muscles, ligaments, and bones. Typically, following an animal’s demise, its tissues decompose along with the collagen, bones, and other components. Occasionally, if we’re fortunate, the bones might become fossilized and remain for paleontologists to uncover. In rare instances, some collagen may also be preserved.

Remarkably, traces of T-rex‘s collagen have been discovered within certain fossilized bones that researchers have unearthed. This particular type of protein, with its distinctive molecular structure, is resistant to degradation and, under specific circumstances, can endure for tens of millions of years.

Despite the fact that we possess some T. rex collagen, it’s highly fractured and even if it were whole, it may not be particularly useful due to its generic nature across various species. Professor Thomas Carr of Carthage College stated to Live Science that he would find it astonishing if there existed a unique sequence specific to T. rex, or any dinosaur, that could distinguish them from their closest living counterparts.

As a dinosaur enthusiast, I’ve learned an interesting fact: The collagen extracted from T. rex bones isn’t sourced from its skin. Intriguingly, creating authentic T. rex leather requires more than just collagen; it necessitates the DNA of this magnificent creature, which is currently unattainable.

There’s probably no such thing as dino DNA

Regrettably, dinosaur DNA doesn’t last very long after their demise. It has already degraded. Similar to the rest of their bodies, DNA begins to decay as soon as death occurs. The oldest known DNA in existence is approximately 2 million years old, mere remnants of plant and animal DNA that depict an ancient ecosystem currently found in Greenland.

Under optimal circumstances, DNA can endure for several million years; however, T-rex, along with other non-avian dinosaurs, became extinct around 66 million years ago. If we were to miraculously discover ‘Dino DNA’, it would likely be highly fragmented and could potentially be from a pseudogene or a non-coding section of the genome, much like finding a piece from the copyright page of an ancient book but lacking any substantial content. Riley Black, paleontologist and author of both The Last Days of the Dinosaurs and When the Earth was Green, explained this via email to SYFY Wire.

It’s feasible that designers could create leather reminiscent of the T. rex, given the broad interpretation of the term ‘leather’. However, manufacturing leather from genuine T. rex tissue is highly improbable. It’s important to mention that this collaboration primarily aims at developing a compassionate and eco-friendly substitute for traditional leather, a goal that deserves recognition and further investigation. The idea of T. rex leather might generate buzz in the PR world, potentially propelling research in this area, even though it may be misleading.

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2025-05-01 22:46