Here, we examine 145 dinosaur eggshells from a new fossil locality in the Qiupa Formation （Upper Cretaceous） of the Luanchuan area in western Henan Province, China. The eggshells display elongatoolithid macro- and m...Here, we examine 145 dinosaur eggshells from a new fossil locality in the Qiupa Formation （Upper Cretaceous） of the Luanchuan area in western Henan Province, China. The eggshells display elongatoolithid macro- and microstructures, including ridges and nodes on the outer surface, two ultrastructurai layers, and an undulatory boundary between the mammillary and continuous layers. A phylogenic analysis shows that the Luanchuan eggshells belong to the ooclade Elongatoolithidae. Within Elongatoolithidae, the thickness ratio of the mammillary layer to the entire eggshell, and the porosity of the Luanchuan eggshells are comparable to the oogenera Macroolithus and Elongatoolithus. There is no direct evidence for the taxonomic identity of the Luanchuan eggshells; however, they were likely laid by oviraptorids based on their phylogenetic position and their similarities with known oviraptorid eggs.展开更多
基金This study is financially supported by two projects from Henan Provincial Finance Bureau, Henan Provincial Bureau of Land and Resources:The investigation of vertebrate fossils (dinosaurs, elephants) from Henan Province (2005)the study of dinosaurian fauna from western and southern Henan Province (2006).
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China(40872017)the Basic Outlay of Scientific Research Work from the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China,and the Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars, State Education Ministry,to L J.C
文摘Here, we examine 145 dinosaur eggshells from a new fossil locality in the Qiupa Formation （Upper Cretaceous） of the Luanchuan area in western Henan Province, China. The eggshells display elongatoolithid macro- and microstructures, including ridges and nodes on the outer surface, two ultrastructurai layers, and an undulatory boundary between the mammillary and continuous layers. A phylogenic analysis shows that the Luanchuan eggshells belong to the ooclade Elongatoolithidae. Within Elongatoolithidae, the thickness ratio of the mammillary layer to the entire eggshell, and the porosity of the Luanchuan eggshells are comparable to the oogenera Macroolithus and Elongatoolithus. There is no direct evidence for the taxonomic identity of the Luanchuan eggshells; however, they were likely laid by oviraptorids based on their phylogenetic position and their similarities with known oviraptorid eggs.
