Paleontologists are used to finding fossilized eggs, but they are very rare to contain the remains of dinosaur embryos. That’s why it’s so special to find two in the same litter in China.
Working in partnership with Canadian and British researchers, the scientists determined that the records belonged to hadrosaurid-type animals. The fossils are in excellent condition and are the best records of this species ever found.
The discovery was made in Jiangxi province and was published in the scientific journal. BMC Ecology and Evolution. The Yinggliang Stone Natural History Museum, where they were filmed, named the animals Ying Babies.
The egg fossils are elliptical in shape and about 9 centimeters in diameter. Paleontologists estimate that this is evidence of animals living in the Late Cretaceous between 72 and 66 million years ago.
hadrosaurid family
It was the unique shape of the animals’ skull, vertebrae, and limb bones that allowed them to be identified. Animals belonging to the Hadrosaurid family are also known as duck-billed dinosaurs.
These large herbivores, as the name suggests, had a flat mouth with a shape reminiscent of the beak of modern-day ducks. The embryo found occupies only 40% of the inner space of the egg, and therefore scientists believe that it has not yet completed its development.
Baby Ying is one of the best preserved embryonic fossils discovered to date. The evidence this material carries will help scientists answer new questions about the reproductive process of these animals.
One hypothesis emerging from the discovery states that species belonging to this family may show a late development. This is because the egg is too small for the size of other bones found in the past.
Fossilized eggs of giant reptiles have been found since the 19th century. Despite this, it is very rare to come across evidence of embryos that once invaded Earth. This makes discoveries like Baby Ying invaluable records of our planet’s past.
ARTICLE BMC Ecology and Evolution: doi.org/10.1186/s12862-022-02012-x
Source: Tec Mundo
I am Bret Jackson, a professional journalist and author for Gadget Onus, where I specialize in writing about the gaming industry. With over 6 years of experience in my field, I have built up an extensive portfolio that ranges from reviews to interviews with top figures within the industry. My work has been featured on various news sites, providing readers with insightful analysis regarding the current state of gaming culture.
