Intact theropod dinosaur eggs with embryonic remains from the Late Cretaceous of southern China
中国南方晚白垩世一具有胚胎的完整的兽脚类恐龙蛋化石
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摘要: In spite of tremendous discoveries of dinosaur eggs and nests over the world, dinosaur embryonic remains are rare. Until today, dinosaur embryos associated with eggshells are only known in about 20 cases, most of which were recovered from broken or crushed eggs. Here we report intact dinosaur eggs in a partial clutch with preserved embryonic remains in eggs from the Upper Cretaceous Nanxiong Formation of Ganzhou in the southern Jiangxi Province of China. Based on macro- and microscopic features of eggs and eggshells, these eggs were identified as Elongatoolithus sp., and possibly belong to oviraptorosaurs. A CT scanning topography revealed that all the eggs contain accumulations of embryonic bones, including possible femur and tibia. Our discovery suggests that dinosaur embryos might be preserved more than we have recognized, because intact eggs potentially confine embryonic remains.
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关键词:
- dinosaur embryos /
- Nankang /
- Jiangxi Province
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