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Egg accumulation with 3D embryos provides insight into the life history of a pterosaur.

Xiaolin WangAlexander W A KellnerShunxing JiangXin ChengQiang WangYingxia MaYahefujiang PaidoulaTaissa RodriguesHe ChenJuliana M SayãoNing LiJialiang ZhangRenan Alfredo Machado BantimXi MengXinjun ZhangRui QiuZhonghe Zhou
Published in: Science (New York, N.Y.) (2018)
Fossil eggs and embryos that provide unique information about the reproduction and early growth of vertebrates are exceedingly rare, particularly for pterosaurs. Here we report on hundreds of three-dimensional (3D) eggs of the species Hamipterus tianshanensis from a Lower Cretaceous site in China, 16 of which contain embryonic remains. Computed tomography scanning, osteohistology, and micropreparation reveal that some bones lack extensive ossification in potentially late-term embryos, suggesting that hatchlings might have been flightless and less precocious than previously assumed. The geological context, including at least four levels with embryos and eggs, indicates that this deposit was formed by a rare combination of events, with storms acting on a nesting ground. This discovery supports colonial nesting behavior and potential nesting site fidelity in the Pterosauria.
Keyphrases
  • computed tomography
  • magnetic resonance imaging
  • small molecule
  • high resolution
  • preterm infants
  • gene expression
  • magnetic resonance
  • health information
  • preterm birth
  • gestational age
  • dna methylation
  • social media