In 2005 the first popularized find of dinosaur soft tissue rocked the scientific world, and many refused to believe it was real, despite the evidence, because “soft tissue can’t last that long.” But subsequent studies, including a brand-new one, have confirmed that, yes, the soft tissue is original to the fossil.

In this new study, researchers used advanced mass spectrometry and protein sequencing to detect bone collagen in a well-preserved hip bone from an Edmontosaurus uncovered in the Hell Creek Formation in South Dakota. This unexpected find is encouraging other researchers to pull fossils out of storage and look at them with these new technologies. And why? The experts hope they will uncover the biochemical pathways that enabled the preservation of organic compounds over millions of years. How these proteins could remain for millions of years is a big mystery. Evolutionists try as they might, have yet to be able to present a plausible explanation for the existence of soft tissue in supposedly ancient fossils.

A better interpretation starts with God’s Word. The fossils aren’t millions of years old—they are only about 4,350 years old. They are a stark reminder of God’s judgment on a sin-filled world but also of his mercy in preserving Noah, his family, and two of every kind of land animal (seven pairs of some) onboard the ark.