Palaeontology

First complete pterosaur eggs found in China

By T.K. Randall
June 8, 2014 ·  11 comments

A pterosaur glides over the ocean. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0 John Conway Located in the Xinjiang Uygur Region, the eggs belong to a new genus of pterosaur called Hamipterus tianshanensis and date back 120 million years to a time when these giant winged reptiles would have ruled the prehistoric skies.

The find is particularly significant because the eggs have been found in a three-dimensional state as oppose to two-dimensional like most fossils."This is definitely the most important pterosaur site ever found," said paleontologist Zhonghe Zhou. "Five eggs are three-dimensionally preserved, and some are really complete."

The site is thought to have been a pterosaur colony that was wiped out by a particularly violent storm. At least 40 individuals have been identified however it is believed that there would have been several hundred living there at its peak.

"I have been truly amazed by the abundance of bones and the number of eggs as well the great potential of more discoveries from the site," said Zhou.

Source: University Herald | Comments (11)

Tags: Dinosaur, Pterosaur