This undated file photo shows a new type of dinosaur egg fossil discovered in Ganzhou city, east China’s Jiangxi province. Credit: China University of Geosciences (Wuhan)
A team of paleontologists, geoscientists and evolutionary specialists affiliated with several Chinese institutions discovered that a fossilized egg discovered in 2021 is the smallest dinosaur egg ever discovered. In their article published in the journal Historical biology, The group describes where the eggs were found, the techniques used to study them, and what researchers learned about them.
Before this new discovery, the smallest dinosaur egg ever discovered measured 45.5 mm by 40.4 mm by 34.4 mm. The smallest of the new eggs discovered as part of this new initiative is just 29mm long. It is also the most complete of the group discovered.
The eggs were found at a construction site near the city of Ganzhou in southeastern China in 2021 – the region is known among paleontologists as one of the best in the world for finding dinosaur eggs. Six eggs were fossilized together, forming a single unit. All were in relatively good condition.
After three years of careful analysis, which included the use of an electron microscope, the research team discovered that the creatures inside the eggs came from a non-avian therapod. They also found evidence that they belonged to an unknown ootaxon, which the team named Minioolithus ganzhouensis. The team also dated the eggs to 80 million years ago, placing them in the Late Cretaceous.
The researchers used electron backscatter diffraction techniques to get a holistic picture of eggshells and the creatures inside them. They state that so far all of their study techniques have been non-destructive: the eggs are still in the same condition in which they were found.
The research team plans to continue studying the eggs, including carrying out a new analysis of the discovery site, which has been well preserved: it has already provided new information on how dinosaurs built their nests. Researchers hope to discover what type of dinosaur laid them and, from there, learn more about the process of how dinosaurs formed as they grew in their eggs. They also believe they can learn more about the process of dinosaur reproduction in general.
More information:
Rui Wu et al, Smallest known complete dinosaur fossil eggs from the Late Cretaceous of southern China, Historical biology (2024). DOI: 10.1080/08912963.2024.2409873
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