Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    Menu
    Natural Sciences
    Health
    History & Humanities
    Space & Astronomy
    Technology
    Culture
    Resources
    Natural Sciences

    Physics

    • Matter and Energy
    • Quantum Mechanics
    • Thermodynamics

    Chemistry

    • Periodic Table
    • Applied Chemistry
    • Materials
    • Physical Chemistry

    Biology

    • Anatomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Ecology
    • Genetics
    • Microbiology
    • Plants and Fungi

    Geology and Paleontology

    • Planet Earth
    • Earth Dynamics
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Volcanoes
    • Dinosaurs
    • Fossils

    Animals

    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Fish
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
    • Invertebrates
    • Pets
    • Conservation
    • Animals Facts

    Climate and Weather

    • Climate Change
    • Weather and Atmosphere

    Geography

    Mathematics

    Health
    • Drugs
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Human Body
    • Mind and Brain
    • Food and Nutrition
    • Wellness
    History & Humanities
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Economics
    • History
    • People
    • Sociology
    Space & Astronomy
    • The Solar System
    • The Sun
    • The Moon
    • Planets
    • Asteroids, Meteors and Comets
    • Astronomy
    • Astrophysics
    • Cosmology
    • Exoplanets and Alien Life
    • Spaceflight and Exploration
    Technology
    • Computer Science & IT
    • Engineering
    • Inventions
    • Sustainability
    • Renewable Energy
    • Green Living
    Culture
    • Culture and Society
    • Bizarre Stories
    • Lifestyle
    • Art and Music
    • Gaming
    • Books
    • Movies and Shows
    Resources
    • How To
    • Science Careers
    • Metascience
    • Fringe Science
    • Science Experiments
    • School and Study
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Research → Discoveries

Remarkable Archeological Find: World’s Oldest Dinosaur Embryo

Tibi Puiu by Tibi Puiu
November 11, 2010
in Discoveries, Research, Studies

In a remarkable discovery, reported Friday in the journal Science by a team of paleontologists headed by Robert Reisz of the University of Toronto, archeologists unveiled detailed photos and insights of the world’s oldest dinosaur embryo found to date. In the past years, archelogists have managed to find true dinosaur relics, unveiling dinosaur eggs containing embryos 80 million, 100 million and even older, however this latest find tops anything up to now – an 190 million year old dinosaur embryo. It’s the oldest fossilized embryo of any kind of vertebrate ever found.

This artist's impression of Massospondylus depicts the animal as bipedal.

Dating back from the Jurassic period, the fossils were actually excavated in 1978 in South Africa, but it’s taken more than 40 years to successfully and tidily uncover the rock and eggshell debris for clear picture of the remains to be formed.  The fossils reveal a hatchling Massospondylus, a member of a group of dinosaurs known as prosauropods, ancestors to the giant, plant-eating sauropods (brontosaurus or diplodocus). As adults, these creatures reached lengths of more than 15 feet and were able to walk on two legs.

The fossilized embryo revealed very interesting facts, respectively that the they would have looked very different from the adults of the species, according to the researchers. The surprising conclusion was reached by Dr. Reisz and his colleagues as a result of a detailed examination of the horizontal neck, heavy head and limb proportions of the embryo skeletons. Similar to humans, these dinosaurs began moving about on all fours before maturing to biped life.

Reisz’s research assistant, Diane Scott, prepared the delicate fossils under high-powered microscopes and compiled the illustrations.

“I don’t think anybody else could have done this job,” Reisz said.

Besides the quadruped early life behavior, the  infant massopondylus didn’t posses any teeth, according to the fossils, suggesting the earliest parental care in history.

“This project opens an exciting window into the early history and evolution of dinosaurs,” says Reisz. “Prosauropods are the first dinosaurs to diversify extensively, and they quickly became the most widely spread group, so their biology is particularly interesting as they represent in many ways the dawn of the age of dinosaurs.”

Source: NYT.

Was this helpful?


Thanks for your feedback!

Related posts:
  1. Researchers find a pristinely preserved dinosaur embryo in China
  2. Vatican teams up with US biotech firm to shift focus off embryo research
  3. Oldest dinosaur embryos found in China
  4. Picture of the day: fluorescent chicken embryo
  5. Woman gives birth to ‘snowbaby’ who was frozen as embryo for 24 years
Tags: dinosaursMassospondylusprosauropods

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • More
  • About Us

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t you want to get smarter every day?

YES, sign me up!

Over 35,000 subscribers can’t be wrong. Don’t worry, we never spam. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW