Tag

Eggshells

All articles tagged with #eggshells

science1 month ago•205 min saved

Giant titanosaurs nested at high southern latitudes, new eggs reveal

Scientists uncovered 255 titanosaur eggshell fragments dating to about 68 million years ago in Argentina’s Chorrillo Formation, showing titanosaurs nested at high southern latitudes (55–60°S)—far from the equator—likely using mound nests warmed by rotting plant material to incubate their porous eggs. These nests may have been communal, with hatchlings weighing about 4 kilograms, and the discovery suggests giant sauropods could reproduce year‑round at high latitudes, expanding our understanding of dinosaur behavior and adaptation.

via CNN|

#eggshells #high-latitude #nesting

science7 months ago•6 min saved

Dinosaur eggshells become timing clues for ancient fossils

Scientists dated dinosaur eggshells using uranium–lead radiometric dating to determine when the eggs formed and thus when the surrounding rocks were deposited, finding about 95 million years old for Utah eggshells and about 99 million years for Mongolian eggshells, with bedrock ages matching the shell ages; the shells’ microstructure records diagenetic changes, making them a promising geochronometer for Mesozoic sedimentary basins.

via Ars Technica|

#eggshells #geochronometer #paleontology

science11 months ago•2 min saved

Ancient Australian 'Drop Crocs' Reveal Unique Tree-Hunting Adaptations

Scientists discovered Australia's oldest crocodile eggshells from 55 million years ago, belonging to a bizarre, tree-hunting crocodile species called Wakkaoolithus godthelpi, which exhibited unique terrestrial and semi-arboreal behaviors, providing insights into prehistoric ecosystems and crocodile evolution.

via Yahoo News Canada|

#australia #crocodile #eggshells

science1 year ago•3 min saved

Ancient Dinosaur Eggs Uncover Secrets of Jurassic Life and Evolution

The discovery of over 4,000 dinosaur eggshell fragments in Utah reveals at least six different types of eggs, indicating a diverse and complex ecosystem with multiple nesting strategies and species coexisting, including previously unknown crocodylomorph relatives, shedding new light on prehistoric life and migration patterns during the Late Cretaceous period.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#cretaceous #dinosaurs #eggshells

paleontology3 years ago•4 min saved

Ancient bird-like dinosaurs nested communally, study shows.

Fossilized eggshells have revealed that Troodon, a bird-like dinosaur that lived up to 74 million years ago, shared communal nests where several female nestmates often laid more than 20 eggs together, which these feathery dinos then brooded to keep warm. The dinosaurs were endotherms, meaning they were warm-blooded and could self-regulate their body temperature. They could probably switch between a warm-blooded state and a state of cold-blooded torpor — a strategy common in modern birds, called heterothermy. The finding sheds light on the evolutionary transition from cold-bloodedness to endothermy in dinosaurs.

via Livescience.com|

#communal-nests #dinosaurs #eggshells