‘Abnormal’ dinosaur egg in India digs up new questions for evolution

What is the News?

A team of researchers from the University of Delhi has discovered a unique set of fossilized dinosaur eggs with one egg nesting within the other at the Dinosaur Fossil National Park in Dhar District of Madhya Pradesh.

What did the researchers find?

The Upper Cretaceous Lameta Formation of Central India is long known for its dinosaur fossils.

In this region, researchers recently discovered 52 titanosaurid dinosaur nests at the Dinosaur Fossil National Park in Dhar District of Madhya Pradesh.

One of these nests consisted of 10 eggs, one of which was the “abnormal” egg with one egg nesting within the other.

What is the significance of this discovery?

The eggs-within-eggs are rare phenomena. They are so far known to occur only in birds and have never been known in reptiles. This discovery brings out newer connections between reptilian and avian evolution.

What are Titanosaurs?

Titanosaurs were a diverse group of sauropod dinosaurs. The dinosaurs of the Sauropod family were among the largest land animals that have ever lived and were widespread millions of years ago in the territory that is now India. 

Fossils of these animals have been found in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh as well as Meghalaya.

Source: The post is based on the article “‘Abnormal’ dinosaur egg in India digs up new questions for evolution” published in The Hindu on 13th June 2022.