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eppur_se_muova

(36,247 posts)
Wed Jan 25, 2012, 12:29 AM Jan 2012

{Fossilized remains of} Oldest dinosaur nest site found (BBC)

A nesting site for dinosaur eggs found in South Africa is 100 million years older than the previous oldest site.

Palaeontologists found 10 separate nests, each containing clutches of up to 34 eggs measuring 6-7cm.

The fossils are of the prosauropod Massospondylus, a relative of the long-necked sauropods such as Diplodocus.

They suggest that Massospondylus returned to the site repeatedly, laying their eggs in groups in the earliest-known case of "colonial nesting".

The 190-million-year-old finds also included embryonic dinosaur skeletons, and are described in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16697954

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2012/01/23/1109385109.abstract

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