'Exquisitely preserved' 72-million-year-old dinosaur embryo discovered in egg fossil

22 December 2021, 18:11

'Exquisitely preserved' embryo found inside fossilised dinosaur egg

By Emma Soteriou

An "exquisitely preserved" dinosaur embryo has been discovered in a fossilised egg in southern China.

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The egg - dubbed 'Baby Yingliang' - is estimated to be between 72 and 66 million years old is one of the rarest fossil finds for scientists.

'Baby Yingliang' is one of the most complete dinosaur embryos ever discovered and with a stronger connection to modern birds than first thought.

The egg belongs to a toothless theropod dinosaur - also known as a Oviraptorosaur - with its position suggesting they developed bird-like postures close to hatching.

The head lies below its body, with the feet on either side and the back curled along the blunt end of the egg.

The position is a first for dinosaurs, with it having only been linked to birds before.

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The dinosaur's position in the egg is similar to that of modern bird.
The dinosaur's position in the egg is similar to that of modern bird. Picture: Getty

A team of scientists from the University of Birmingham and China University of Geosciences worked alongside researchers from institutions in China, the UK and Canada to put together their findings on 'Baby Yingliang', published in the iScience journal.

Professor Steve Brusatte - who was a part of the team from the University of Birmingham - said: "This dinosaur embryo inside its egg is one of the most beautiful fossils I have ever seen.

"This little prenatal dinosaur looks just like a baby bird curled in its egg, which is yet more evidence that many features characteristic of today's birds first evolved in their dinosaur ancestors."

The embryo's position has been connected to modern birds.
The embryo's position has been connected to modern birds. Picture: PA

Fion Waisum Ma - an author of the study - said: "Dinosaur embryos are some of the rarest fossils and most of them are incomplete with the bones dislocated.

"We are very excited about the discovery of 'Baby Yingliang' - it is preserved in a great condition and helps us answer a lot of questions about dinosaur growth and reproduction with it.

"It is interesting to see this dinosaur embryo and a chicken embryo pose in a similar way inside the egg, which possibly indicates similar prehatching behaviours."

Despite the fossil being tracked down around the year 2000, it was rediscovered while the Yingliang Stone Nature History Museum - where it is being kept - was being built in the 2010s.

Museum staff found the specimen while sorting through storage before identifying it as a dinosaur egg.

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