Baby Yingliang, a 72 to 66 millions years old embryo was discovered inside a fossilized dinosaur egg. It is believed to be a toothless theropod dinosaur, or oviraptorosaur.
It is the best preserved dinosuaur embryos ever found in the history according to the study published in iScience. The fossil will help researchers to understand the link between dinosaurs and modern birds.
Baby Yingliang measures 10.6in (27cm) long from head to tail, and rests inside a 6.7 inch-long egg at the Yingli Nature History Museum in China.
Baby Yingliang takes its nickname from the Yingliang Stone Nature History Museum in Xiamen, among whose fossil collections it is held.
The researchers believe that the embryonic oviraptorosaur would have been some 10.6 inches (27 cm) from head to tail, but was developing curled inside a 6.7 inch (17 cm) -long egg.
‘This dinosaur embryo was acquired by the director of Yingliang Group, Mr Liang Liu, as suspected egg fossils around the year 2000,’ said paper author and palaeontologist Lida Xing of the China University of Geosciences in Beijing.
Scientists announced the discovery of an exquisitely preserved dinosaur embryo from at least 66 million years ago.
Another found in Brazil
A nest of fossilized dinosaur eggs wa found inSão Paulo, Brazil by a group of researchers. The egg would have hatched into carnivores 60 million to 80 million years ago if the eggs were not buried by loose sediment. Interesting right?
The five eggs, which were preserved by nature were originally believed to be ancient crocodile eggs. Experts first though they were eggs from an ancient crocodile, But a new analysis shows the eggs are much larger than the crocodile’s.
Robeeto Nava, who is responsible for most of the finds, at the Paleontological Museum in Marilia, reportee that the dinosaur eggs measure 4-5 inches long and 2-3 inches wide, while the ancient crocodiles’ egg is typically no longer than three inches.