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    Oldest Known Dinosaur Nesting Site Found

    HealthDay – Wed, Jan 25, 2012

    WEDNESDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers who found the earliest known dinosaur nesting site say it offers significant clues about the evolution of complex reproductive behavior in early dinosaurs.

    The 190-million-year-old site in South Africa is 100 million years older than previously known nesting sites. It contains clutches of eggs of the prosauropod dinosaur Massospondylus, a relative of the giant, long-necked sauropods of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Many of the eggs contain embryos.

    There are also tiny dinosaur footprints, which provide the oldest known evidence that hatchlings remained at the nesting site long enough to at least double in size.

    At least 10 nests, each with up to 34 round eggs in tightly clustered clutches, have been found at several ground levels at the site. The fact that there are nests at different levels in the sediment indicates that the dinosaurs returned repeatedly to the site and likely gathered in groups to lay their eggs.

    This is the oldest known evidence of such behavior in the fossil record, according to Robert Reisz, a paleontologist and professor of biology at University of Toronto.

    The mothers were 6 meters long and the eggs were about 6 to 7 centimeters in diameter. The highly organized nature of the nests suggests that the mothers carefully arranged the eggs after they laid them.

    "The eggs, embryos and nests come from the rocks of a nearly vertical road cut only 25 meters long," Reisz said in a university news release. "Even so, we found ten nests, suggesting that there are a lot more in the cliff, still covered by tons of rock. We predict that many more nests will be eroded out in time as natural weathering processes continue."

    The research appears in this week's issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

    More information

    The Smithsonian as more on Massospondylusdinosaurs.

     

    9 comments

    • Bill
      Bill  •  3 mths ago
      Why do people always think of dinosaurs as being stupid? Of course they arranged the eggs in the nest and cared for their young. They survived for *millions* of years, whereas we've only been around for a couple hundred thousand. And an asteroid strike could just as easily take us out as well, and then things could get started all over again. Life finds a way.
      • Digger
        Digger 3 mths ago
        Most people use the term stupid to describe a dearth of reasoning ability. It is scientifically known that dinosaur brains were small in comparison with their body size. It is also known that a small brain to body ratio is a reliable indicator of relative intelligence.
        Birds and reptiles caring for eggs is not an intelect function so much as an instinctual function.
    • Author Shirley M. Spoden
      Author Shirley M. Spoden  •  Denver, Colorado  •  4 mths ago
      What a fantastic and exciting find. Sorry, I cannot be there to view this extraordinary event.
      • 'Skid' Marx
        'Skid' Marx 3 mths ago
        It's a good thing as you most likey would have been eaten within a very short period of time by something.......
    • Digger
      Digger  •  4 mths ago
      I have a question for any dino experts out there. The evidence shows that the mother dinos carefully arranged the eggs in the nests. Clearly, these creatures had strong motherhood skills via instinct. If these mother dinos had seen something coming that threatened their eggs, would they have relocated the eggs out of harm's way had there been time to do so?
      • Wagman
        Wagman 4 mths ago
        Fair question. The three reasons I have heard regarding the fossilization of nests are: 1. some species built their nest near water and a flood quickly covered their eggs. It was not be a violent flood, as the nests would likely be washed away, but would instead have been the fast rise of water carrying fine silt and sand. 2. Dinosaurs that lived in more arid regions could have their nests covered by dust or sand storms, and 3. Volcanic ash from a nearby eruption quickly covered the eggs. Not knowing which type of rock the eggs were found in, it would be a complete guess to state which of the reasons is the most likely in this instance.

        As far as the actual motherhood skills, not a whole lot is known about the extent of those skills and whether or not they would move the eggs beyond the confines of the actual nest. They may have been able to move them around the nest with their snout, but would not have the ability to actually move the egg to another location with their mouth. Some birds do the same thing today.

        In the interest of full disclosure, I was not able to read the paper they used for this article, so I am just relaying information from other articles I have read.
      • Boredtotears
        Boredtotears 4 mths ago
        the angry birds were too fast for them to move the eggs
      • therealdeal
        therealdeal 4 mths ago
        What? No bible nuts here to say how the Earth isn't that old? That dinos aren't real? You guys are slipping!
    • Jerome
      Jerome  •  Seattle, Washington  •  4 mths ago
      God put them there to make it look like they were nesting.... there never were any dinosaurs, god just created fossils to make it look like there were.... yes, some people do sound this dumb.
      • 'Skid' Marx
        'Skid' Marx 3 mths ago
        The creationist museum explains to it's visitors why that is 'true' You should check it out next time you're in Kentucky.....................just for a laugh.
      • Jerome
        Jerome 3 mths ago
        What do you mean next time? i ain't ever going to kentucky unless i have to....
    • Pen
      Pen  •  4 mths ago
      "Many of the eggs contain embryos." I envision some over eager scientist wanting to 'crack' the egg and creating these creatures.
      • Ralph M
        Ralph M 3 mths ago
        Or putting one in an MRI machine... What's with the 'Mad Scientist' routine...
    • Beverly Anne Erice
      Beverly Anne Erice  •  Manila, Philippines  •  3 mths ago
      I hate it when the article title's so inviting, and when I click it i can't find any photo related to it.
    • Maxy
      Maxy  •  3 mths ago
      what came first...the dinosaur or the egg?
    • Dr.Lecter
      Dr.Lecter  •  Brush Prairie, Washington  •  3 mths ago
      I wonder if the egg embryo's contain any viable DNA material ? Jurassic Park would be cool.
    • Ray
      Ray  •  Irvine, California  •  4 mths ago
      They should look at Capitol Hill, in Washington, DC. Talk about a Dinosaue nesting place.....
     Post a comment
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