Stone balls worshipped for generations by a family in India have been revealed to be dinosaur eggs more than 70 million years old.
The amazing discovery was made by chance when scientists on a field trip saw the stones displayed in Padlya Village, in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
70-Million-Year-Old Fossilised Dinosaur Eggs Unveiled
The fossilised eggs, around the size of a melon, had been worshipped by the Mandaloi farming family for hundreds of years as kuldevta, or totems, according to local media.
Vesta Mandaloi, 40, said he had been worshipping the eggs as a kuldevta totem to Kakar Bhairav to ensure gods would protect their farm and cattle.
‘Kakar’ means land or farm, and ‘Bhairav’ means lord in Hindi, and many families use totems to protect their crops and livestock.
But when scientists from the Lucknow Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences saw them, they immediately recognised them as dinosaur eggs.
After analysing them more closely, they said that they were from Titanosaurs, which roamed the Earth about 70 million years ago.
As an adult, the plant-eating dinosaur stood around 80 feet long and weighed more than 80 tonnes, and they are said to be the largest animal ever.
After analysing them more closely, they said that they were from Titanosaurs, which roamed the Earth about 70 million years ago.
Their eggs are particularly rare and sought after by both scientists and collectors.
It is currently unclear if the farmer will be allowed to keep the eggs.
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Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
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