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Perfectly Preserved Dinosaur Egg Unearthed in Patagonia

Scientists plan CT scans to search for an embryo before moving the specimen to Argentina’s national museum for study.

Overview

  • Researchers discovered the intact egg on October 7 near General Roca along the Río Negro and announced the find during a live broadcast.
  • Field identification places the fossil at more than 70 million years old and suggests it likely came from a Bonapartenykus-type carnivorous theropod.
  • The condition is unusual because carnivorous dinosaur eggs tend to have thinner, more fragile shells and are rarely preserved whole.
  • Additional remains at the site, including mammal teeth, snake vertebrae and broken eggs, indicate a probable Cretaceous nesting ground.
  • The expedition was led by Conicet with support from the Azara Foundation, National Geographic and the Rio Negro government, and the specimen is intended for eventual public display in Patagonia.