In Brazil, a nest of fossilized dinosaur eggs was discovered that, had the eggs not been buried by loose dirt, would have developed into ferocious carnivores 60 million to 80 million years ago.
A litter of fossilized dinosaur eggs have been found in Brazil that would have hatched into vicious carnivores 60 million to 80 million years ago if the eggs were not buried by loose sediment
Since fossilized crocodylomorph feces were previously discovered at the location, the five well-preserved eggs were initially thought to be ancient crocodile eggs.
The eggs were found to be larger and have a thicker shell than those from a crocodylomorph after a more thorough examination by a group of paleontologists led by William Roberto Nava, according to g1.
The dinosaur eggs measure four to five inches long and two to three inches wide, whereas the ancient crocodiles' eggs are normally no longer than three inches, according to Nava, who is responsible for the majority of the discovery at the Paleontological Museum in Marilia.
The dinosaur eggs measure four to five inches long and two to three inches wide
He went on to say that although dinosaur eggs have a "ripple-shaped" texture, ancient crocodylomorph eggs have a porous or smooth texture.
He said to g1 that they "look like little wavy earthworms," which contrasts with the crocodile's smoothness.
The discovery of dinosaur eggs at Presidente Prudente, in the interior of So Paulo, was made possible by the soil's gradual transformation into sandstone.
Paleontologist William Roberto Nava (pictured) found the eggs in the city of Presidente Prudente, in the interior of São Paulo
Paleontologists recently took the eggs from the earth last year; it wasn't until this month that they were able to identify the dinosaur from which they came. The substance functions as a natural defender, generating many layers of sand over millions of years that have protected the eggs until they were recently pulled from the ground.
Who knows if one of these [five] eggs contains a petrified embryo, Nava said to g1. The novelty for Brazil would make it extremely cool.
The claim was made to draw attention to the finding of a beautifully preserved dinosaur embryo in China.
The eggs were preserved by the soil transforming into sandstone over time
The embryo, known as "Baby Yingliang," was discovered coiled up within a fossilized egg at the Shahe Industrial Park in Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province. It was discovered in rocks of the "Hekou Formation."
The specimen, which is among the most complete dinosaur embryos yet unearthed, stands out for having a posture more akin to that of an early bird than a typical dinosaur.
Baby Yingliang was particularly near to hatching, with its head beneath its body, its back curved into the blunt end of the egg, and its feet placed on either side of it.
The material acts as a natural protector, forming several layers of sand over millions of years that have protected the eggs until paleontologists recently pulled them from the ground last year
Baby Yingliang belonged to a species of "oviraptorosaurs," also known as toothless, beaked theropod dinosaurs, according to paleontologists from the University of Birmingham.
The Yingliang Stone Nature History Museum in Xiamen, where the fossil is kept, gives Baby Yingliang its name.
The oviraptorosaur embryo, which was growing curled inside a 6.7 inch (17 cm) long egg, would have grown about 10.6 inches (27 cm) long from head to tail, according to the researchers.
According to paper author and palaeontologist Lida Xing of the China University of Geosciences in Beijing, "This dinosaur embryo was acquired by the director of Yingliang Group, Mr. Liang Liu, as suspected egg fossils around the year 2000."
The embryo, dubbed 'Baby Yingliang, was found curled up inside a fossilized egg and was found in the rocks of the 'Hekou Formation' at the Shahe Industrial Park in Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province. The specimen is one of the most complete dino embryos known and notably sports a posture closer to those seen in embryonic birds than usually found in dinosaurs
The specimens were found by museum personnel while organizing the storage space for the Yingliang Stone Nature History Museum in the 2010s.
These objects were recognized as fossilized dinosaur eggs. The embryo that had been concealed inside the egg was later discovered through fossil processing.
"This is how 'Baby Yingliang' came to light," it said.
