Dinosaur eggs sometimes bring surprises. In eastern China, two fossilized eggs were discovered in a layer of red sandstone and subsequently cut open for study. What the researchers saw were not small bones inside, but hollow spaces lined with transparent crystals. The discovery comes from the Chishan Formation of the Upper Cretaceous in the Qianshan Basin, Anhui Province. The eggs are almost round, about 10 to 13 centimeters long, and the eggshell is 2.6 millimeters thick. Their appearance looks ordinary. Under a microscope, the shells show clear growth lines and a tightly packed structure. Scientists named them a new egg species: Shixinoolithus qianshanensis. No embryonic remains have been preserved. What survives are the shells and the minerals that slowly formed inside after burial.
Crystal-filled dinosaur eggs discovered in China contain no fossilized embryos
According to published in journal of paleogeographythe crystals in the egg are calcite crystals. While the eggs are alive, they have not yet formed. Once the eggs are buried in the soil, water seeps into the ground and brings dissolved minerals with it. The inside of the egg had rotted and turned into a hollow. Over time, minerals gradually deposited in the cavities, forming clusters of crystals. This method is commonly used for fossils. Organic material breaks down and minerals either replace it or fill in the gaps. Here the shell is intact, but the embryo is completely gone.
New species of dinosaur eggs discovered in Anhui Province
Even without bones, eggshells provide enough detail for identification. When the thin slices were examined under a microscope, the scientists observed uniform shell units and a dense internal structure. These characteristics differ slightly from known types.Because of these differences, these eggs were classified as a new egg species in the family Stalicoolithidae. This is the first time this group has been confirmed in the Qianshan Basin. Many dinosaur eggs have been produced in other parts of China, but so far there is no direct evidence from this basin.
fossil Eggs help confirm age of rocks
The eggs were found in layers formed by ancient rivers and lakes. The deposits belong to the late Cretaceous period, shortly before the mass extinction that ended the age of the dinosaurs.The discovery of dinosaur eggs in these rocks supports their dating. Fossils like this can help geologists confirm the age of rock formations and understand how the area changed over time.Only two eggs are preserved, one of which is incomplete. Still, they add useful detail to the record of dinosaur life in eastern China, a silent piece of evidence from the distant past.
