Oviraptor Nest Of 12 Eggs

Details:

Oviraptor nest of 12 eggs which are very rare and scientifically important. The raptor dinosaurs were protective of their eggs, adult oviraptor dinosaur skeletons have even been found lying over their eggs, presumably as some cataclysmic event caused the death of the mother or father oviraptor they could have been shielding the nest from harm or another theory of such fossil finds is that the adult died while on the nest incubating the eggs. The discoveries made in the last few decades have helped to substantiate the theory of bird like behaviour among oviraptor dinosaurs and the sedentariness of the parents has given more clues to the habits of oviraptors, it is now thought they did brood over their eggs and possible stayed with the hatchlings for a period of time. Oviraptor was about the size of an Ostrich or Emu. When first discovered its was described as a bird like dinosaur. The oviraptors strong beak like jaws capable of cracking open its prey exoskeleton, again recent discoveries learn towards oviraptors main diet being mollusc and crustacea and perhaps supplemented by what else was slow enough that it could catch, even small lizards. The partial nest of twelve Oviraptor eggs laid in a crescent way are from the Kaoguo Formation in Xixia Basin, Henan Province, China. The eggs date from the Mesozoic era, late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian stage around 72 to 66 million years.

Location: Xixia Basin Formation, Henan Province, China.
Age: Mesozoic era, late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian stage around 72 to 66 million years.

Nest measurements.
Height: 16.5 cm
Length: 57 cm
Depth: x cm
Average egg Length: 18 cm

Approximate weight: 36.6 kg

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