Oldest dinosaur nursery found in South Africa

zeenews ^ | January 24, 2012 | ANI

[Berlin_Freeper]

An ancient dinosaur nursery - the oldest nesting site ever found - has been unearthed in an excavation at a site in South Africa.

The 190-million-year-old nesting site of the prosauropod dinosaur Massospondylus reveals significant clues about the evolution of complex reproductive behaviour in early dinosaurs.

It discover clutches of eggs, many with embryos, as well as tiny dinosaur footprints, providing the oldest known evidence that the hatchlings remained at the nesting site long enough to at least double in size.

“This research project, which has been ongoing since 2005 continues to produce groundbreaking results and excavations continue. First it was the oldest dinosaur eggs and embryos, now it is the oldest evidence of dinosaur nesting behaviour,” said Prof. Bruce Rubidge, Director of the Bernard Price Institute (BPI) at Wits.

The authors say the newly unearthed dinosaur nesting ground is more than 100 million years older than previously known nesting sites.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Massospondylus

[OddLane]

ping

[Liberty Valance]

*bimp*

[knarf]

A nursery ?

[Berlin_Freeper]

PNAS

[ApplegateRanch]

A nursery? They really found it?

It's The Baby; gotta love it!
I'll roast it when there's more of it!
(signed) Not The Mama

[Telepathic Intruder]

"Large curved thumb claw on each hand". I've often wondered how far dinosaurs might have evolved by now if some random asteroid didn't suddenly take them all out.

[C210N]

Here is my theory on dinosaurs:

All dinosaurs are thin on one end, thick in the middle, and thin on the other end.

That is my theory, and what it is too.

[Quick Shot]

I was wrong, first guess the Senate

[Quick Shot]

I was wrong, first guess the Senate

[Einherjar]

Saddles ? what about dinosaur saddles ? did they find any ???

[6SJ7]

All dinosaurs are thin on one end, thick in the middle, and thin on the other end.

That's it, is it!?

[Bigh4u2]

“It discover clutches”

They discovered clutches?

Do they have one for a Chevy?

:)

[C210N]

All dinosaurs are thin on one end, thick in the middle, and thin on the other end.

That's it, is it!?

Not only is that it, but that's what it is ... too!

[C210N]

and its mine.

[MarkL]

What did baby dinosaurs watch on TV? Did they watch a TV show with a little purple monkey?

I want to know... What did Barney watch?

Mark

[OddLane]

LOL.

I loved that show.

[Fresh Wind]

[SunkenCiv]

Note: this topic was posted 1/24/2012. Thanks Berlin_Freeper.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Oddlane. I missed your ping back when.