Baby Dinosaur Embryo discovered in China Is 72 Million Years old
In southern China, paleontologists from the University of Birmingham discovered an extremely rare, preserved dinosaur embryo curled up inside a fossilized egg.
The embryo is in excellent condition, is 72 million years old. The source was discovered beneath the ‘Hekou Formation’ rocks at the Shahe Industrial Park in Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province. It was name ‘Baby Yingliang’ (from the Yingliang Stone Nature History Museum in Xiamen).
Paleontologists believe the embryo belongs to a toothless beaked theropod, also known as an oviraptorosaur. They claim that this is by far the complete dinosaur embryo ever discover.
The embryo resembles a posture similar to that of birds in the embryonic stage of development. It resembles that of birds more than other dinosaurs.
According to the analysis, the specimen appeared to be on the verge of hatching. With its head below its body, back curled into the egg’s blunt end, and feet positioned on either side. The oviraptorosaurs could have grown around 10.6 inches long from head to tail after hatching from a 6.7-inch long egg.
This entire posture is similar to ‘tucking’ in birds. Which is an essential embryonic behavior control by the central nervous system to ensure successful hatching.
Seeing Baby Yingliang in this position suggests that this position may have evolved in modern birds and among non-avian theropod dinosaurs.
“This dinosaur embryo inside its egg is one of the most beautiful fossils I have ever seen,” said paper co-author. And vertebrate paleontologist Steve Brusatte of the University of Edinburgh in a statement.
This little prenatal dinosaur resembles a baby bird curled in its egg, providing further evidence that many characteristics of today’s birds evolved in their dinosaur ancestors.”
