Fossil Factoid of the Day 

Most of the substantial discoveries on Dinosaurs are their Eggs, or Nest’s.

Researches are able to distinguish and therefore decipher the Dinosaur’s Behaviour, according to the way they lay their Eggs and form a Nest.

There are Two main types of Dinosaur Egg shapes/ structures:

Spheroidal and Elongated.

They can be subdivided into three types:

• Spherulithic egg shells have spherical patterns
• Prismatic egg shells is a mixture of spherical and prism patterns
• Ornithoid egg shells have biocrystalline upper to middle patterns

Egg classifications based on the type of dinosaur which laid them are:

Sauropod

They appear in spherical to subspherical shape with very long thin crystalline component. They have spherulithic shells in structure. Most of this specie was discovered in Argentina. Dinosaur Example - Titanosaurus Dinosaur Eggshell

Theropod

They include Troodon, Ovirator, Therizinosaurs species. Troodon appear to have elongated shape with ornithoid shell type(thin shells). Ovirator has elongated and elliptical shapes. They have unique nodes and ridges in the surface. Therizinosaurs have two types the Manning egg and Louie egg. They are spherical and elongated shapes. Most of this specie was found in Montana.

Ornithopod

They are rounded with slight elongated shape. They have longitudinal ridges in the surface. Egg shells are spherulithic in structure. Most of these species are also found in Montana. Dinosaur Example - Hadrosaur Dinosaur Nest

The largest Fossil Eggs ever to be discovered came from the giant Titanosaurus Dinosaur. Titanosaurs are from the family of Sauropods. Their Eggs were about 18cm long with 5 mm shell thickness. They contained 5.5 liters of fluid.

Here are other additional facts regarding Dinosaur Eggs:

• Researchers Studies show that the actual colour of Eggs can’t be determined, since Egg discoveries are already fossilized.
• During the Jurassic fever, a friend of Princess Diana paid £1400 in exchange of Sauropod Egg at Bonham’s Auctions.
• Patagonia, Argentina housed the largest number of Sauropod Eggs ever found in the History.
• Another breakthrough is the discovery of 6 intact embryos. The creatures had eloquent jaws, intact nostrils and peg shaped teeth.
• Researchers use CAT/CT scan (computerized axial tomography) to see what is inside the whole eggs discovered. In other cases, they used mild acid bath solution to slowly remove shell.

Egg/Nest Examples:

Titanosaurus Egg (above)

Raptor Nest / Raptor Eggs (above)

Hadrosaur Nest / Hadrosaur Eggs (above)