In an exciting discovery, a team of palaeontologists from China has described the smallest dinosaur eggs ever recorded.
The fossil – which includes a clutch of six tiny eggs – was found in 2021 on a field survey at a construction site near Ganzhou in south-east China. It is significant for our understanding of the evolution of theropods in the Late Cretaceous, say the team, who published their findings in Historical Biology.
The smallest of the eggs is just 29mm long, about the size of a cherry, making it considerably smaller than the previous record-holder, which measured 45.5mm x 40.4mm x 34.4mm.
Through meticulous analysis, including advanced electron microscopy, the team identified the eggs as belonging to a non-avian theropod – a group of carnivorous, bipedal dinosaurs – from the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 80 million years ago.
Their findings suggest the eggs come from a previously unknown ootaxon (a taxonomic classification of egg fossils), which they've named Minioolithus ganzhouensis.
The team has exciting plans to continue their research, including further analysis of the site, which may hold more clues about dinosaur nesting habits and reproductive processes. They say the discovery could unlock deeper knowledge of how these ancient creatures developed before hatching.
Main image: the six little eggs belong to the newly identified theropod species Minioolithus ganzhouensis/China University of Geosciences (Wuhan)
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