Fully Preserved Dinosaur Embryos Discovered in China

Preserved Dinosaur Embryos Discovered

The dinosaur embryo was discovered in Ganzhou, a city in the southern Chinese province of Jiangxi. Scientists estimate that it is at least 66 million years old (more than 65 million years old).

It is thought to be a toothless Theropod dinosaur or Oviraptorosauria. And it's called Baby Yingliang.

Researcher Dr. Fion Waisum says this is the best dinosaur embryo ever found.

The discovery has also helped researchers better understand the relationship between dinosaurs and modern birds.

Fossils show that the fetus was in a state of rotation called tucking, which occurs shortly before the bird's hatch.

Also read: What if Dinosaurs were Still Alive?

Dr. Fion Waisum told a news agency this indicates that such behavior in modern birds first originated with their dinosaur ancestors.

According to experts, Oviraptorosaurs means 'lizard hidden in an egg' and these were winged dinosaurs found in present-day Asia and North America in the late Cretaceous. (100 million to 66 million years ago.)

Biologist Professor Steve Brusatte, part of the same research team, said via the social networking site that it was one of the "most spectacular dinosaur fossils" ever seen.

Our little one has just arrived. Welcome Baby Yingliang, a gorgeous fossil dinosaur embryo preserved inside its egg!
You're looking here at a baby dinosaur, not too long before it would have hatched. pic.twitter.com/NtXE8XODjT

— Steve Brusatte (@SteveBrusatte) December 21, 2021

It is 10.6 inches (27 cm) long from head to tail and is resting inside a 6.7-inch-long egg at the Yingling Stone Nature History Museum in China.

It should be noted that this egg was discovered in 2000 after which it was preserved for 10 years.