Scientists open 70-million-year-old dinosaur egg and find something unexpected
CPG Click Petróleo e Gás••science
Key Points:
- A 70-million-year-old dinosaur egg discovered in the Chishan Formation, China, contained unusual calcite crystals inside, transforming it into a natural dinosaur geode and preserving the shell intact.
- The egg's microstructure analysis led to the identification of a new oospecies, Shixingoolithus qianshanensis, expanding knowledge of dinosaur eggs distinct from reptiles or birds, though no embryo was preserved.
- The discovery broadens understanding of the Late Cretaceous fauna in the Qianshan Basin, indicating dinosaurs nested in an area previously known mainly for Paleocene turtle, mammal, and bird fossils.
- Calcite crystals formed post-burial through mineral-rich groundwater seeping into the empty egg, offering insights into underground
