Astonished scientists have unearthed what are believed to be the smallest dinosaur eggs ever found during a fossil hunting expedition in China.
The six eggs, excavated in eastern Jiangxi Province, measure only 29 mm in length, just bigger than a robin’s egg.
Photos released by the Chinese University of Geosciences show several eggs nestled together in a clutch.
Experts say they date back more than 80 million years to the Late Cretaceous period, the era of giants like T. Rex and triple-horned Triceratops.
The discovery was revealed on 18th October, after a three-year study of fossil-rich rocks around Nanching on a construction site.
Previously, the world’s smallest dinosaur eggs were unearthed in China’s Zhejiang Province, but even these were nearly half as big again.
Scientific scans have revealed that the eggs were tiny members of the three-toed carnivorous class called theropods, like their much bigger relatives, T. Rex.
Survey chief engineer Lou Fasheng explained: “The team of researchers analysed the microstructure of the eggshells and determined that their morphology and microstructure suggest they belong to a non-avian theropod.
“They offer valuable insights into the evolution of theropods during that period.”
Construction workers first unearthed the eggs in 2021 in an almost perfectly preserved nest.
The findings have been published online on 14th October in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Historical Biology.
Scientists hope further studies will pinpoint exactly which type of dinosaur laid the clutch of tiny eggs.
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below. Story By: Michael Leidig, Sub-Editor: Clive Goodman, Agency: AsiaWire Report
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