Einto dinosaurs, which had much in common with an ostrich but whose reproductive system was similar to that of reptiles: this is how the Troodon can be described, which lived 75 million years ago in what is now North America. An international team led by researchers from Goethe University has gained new insights into the ancestors of today’s birds by examining fossil eggshells.
The scientists working with Mattia Tagliavento and Jens Fiebig have derived from the isotopic composition of the remains of the shell the temperatures at which its main component, calcium carbonate, was formed. Accordingly, Troodon had a body temperature of 42 degrees, but could lower it to 30 degrees like modern birds. The researchers also compared the isotope distribution to that found in the eggs of living reptiles and birds. Reptile eggs are formed slowly and at ambient temperature because the animals are cold-blooded. Birds, on the other hand, produce their eggs faster, presumably because, unlike reptiles, they only have one ovary.
The study according to them, the lime from the troodon shells resembles that of reptile eggs rather than that of birds. Tagliavento and Fiebig conclude that the dinosaur also had two ovaries. They also calculated from body and shell weight that Troodon laid four to six eggs in each reproductive cycle. “This observation is particularly interesting because troodon nests are usually large, containing up to 24 eggs,” explains Tagliavento. “We think this is a strong indication that Troodon females laid their eggs in communal nests. Such behavior is what we see in modern ostriches today.”
In other respects, too, the Cretaceous creature was similar to these distant relatives in some respects. Troodon was about two meters long, had feathered wings, could not fly, but could probably run quite fast.
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