The discovery of 92 nesting sites with a total of 256 fossilized dinosaur eggs is an incredible feat in itself. But, the nests and eggs are helping researchers better understand one of the largest dinosaurs to ever roam India.
According to a recent study by the University of Delhi, India, published in PLOS One, a team of paleontologists discovered the nesting sites in the Lameta Formation – an area of the Narmada Valley in central India and a hotbed of dinosaur fossils, especially of the Late Cretaceous Period.
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The eggs and nests belonged to one of the largest dinosaurs that ever lived – the titanosaurs. This sauropod (long-necked herbivore) had a stockier frame and broader stance than other typical sauropods.
Thanks to recent discoveries, paleontologists can peer into the past and learn more about titanosaur nesting habits.
“Along with the dinosaur nests of Jabalpur in the upper Narmada valley to the east and those of Balasinor to the west, the new nesting sites of Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh (Central India) covering an east- west of about 1,000 km (about 600 miles), constitute one of the largest dinosaur hatcheries in the world,” said co-author and research team leader Guntupalli VR Prasad, in a press release.
After analyzing the nests, the study authors identified six different species of titanosaur eggs – indicating that there may have been greater diversity of titanosaurs in the area than previously thought – based on fossil records.
Modern relatives of dinosaurs
According to the study, the layout of the nest indicates that titanosaur may have laid its eggs in shallow wells and then buried them as modern crocodiles do. However, there was also evidence of the “egg-in-egg” phenomenon called peristalsis contraction – a condition seen in chickens where the formed egg retracts into a chicken’s oviduct only to have the second egg form around it.
The nests also indicate that Titanosaurus may have had a physiology similar to modern birds, where they deposited their eggs sequentially. The nesting proximity of these dinosaurs is similar to modern birds such as great herons, cormorants and brown pelicans.
The researchers also noted that, due to the close proximity of the nests, the adult titanosaurs may have left the hatchlings to fend for themselves.
With these discoveries, researchers gained valuable information about these huge dinosaurs.
“Our research revealed the presence of an extensive hatchery of sauropod titanosaur dinosaurs in the study area and offers new insights into the nest preservation conditions and reproductive strategies of sauropod titanosaur dinosaurs shortly before they became extinct,” said Harsha Dhiman, lead author of the study. book. the study in a press release.
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