An object collected in India 140 years ago turned out to have a surprise inside: the egg of one of the largest dinosaurs that ever lived.
In 1883 it was recorded in a collection of mineralogy at London Natural History Museum a 15 centimeter agate specimen from central India.
The mineral was spherical with a light pink and white interior and spent over a century in a collection called “not thought to make much more sense.”
in 2018 Robin Hansenthe museum’s curator of minerals, visited a mineral exhibit in France and noticed that the museum’s specimen closely resembled a prehistoric fossil.
“While I was looking around the salon, a dealer showed me a nested dinosaur eggwhich was spherical, had a thin shell and a dark agate in the middle,” Hansen said in a statement. “That’s when I thought, ‘Wait a minute, it looks a lot like the one we just did. exhibit at the Museum!’”
Hansen returned to London and brought the ore to Paul Barrett and Dr. Susannah Maidmentthe museum’s dinosaur experts.
The mineral formed inside a dinosaur egg. Credit: Natural History Museum, London.
Experts analyze the article
After inspection, the experts They concluded that it had the correct size, shape and textures of an egg., and a thin layer around the mineral resembled a shell. This appeared to show that other spherical objects were clustered at a point in the egg, but the density of the mineral prevented finer details from being seen, according to the museum.
So the team used CT scans to look for finer details to determine if it was an egg or not.
On the other hand, Hansen traced the origins of the specimen and discovered that It was collected in India between 1817 and 1843.
The surface of the specimen still retains the texture of the dinosaur egg. Credit: Natural History Museum, London.
The chronology is important because it is probably was found before the word “dinosaur” existed; since the term was first used in 1842, according to the magazine smithsonian.
Which dinosaur did the egg belong to?
Close examination revealed that the egg belonged to a titanosaur, which roamed India during Cretaceous period. The external texture of the specimen suggested broods, confirming the species. The eggs of this species were small and clutches of dozens of eggs were laid instead of just one. This egg also looked like the Titanosaur eggs discovered in China and Argentina.
Experts believe the “agatized” egg formed as a result of volcanic activity in the area. Nail Volcanic eruption may have covered dinosaur eggs after its installation. The silicates may have seeped into the eggshells soon after, forming the agate.
Illustrative image.
According to Hansen, the egg was collected at least 80 years before dinosaur eggs were scientifically recognizedadding that humans unknowingly found them for thousands of years before the first confirmation of dinosaur eggs in Mongolia in 1923.
“It was correctly identified and cataloged as an agate in 1883 using the scientific knowledge available at the time,” Hansen said.
“We have only just recognized that this specimen has something very special: the agate has filled in this spherical structure, which turns out to be a dinosaur egg,” Hansen added.
You might also be interested in: They find a feathered dinosaur tail preserved in amber.
A dinosaur egg about 60 million years old
Based on where the egg was found, experts are pretty sure it It’s a dinosaur egg about 60 million years old.
Previous research has shown that fossils have been found between different layers, meaning lava flowed and then titanosaurs populated the area before it was covered in lava again.
The size, shape and surface of the hull are compatible with titanosaur eggs, which were the most common dinosaurs living in India at this moment.
Illustrative image of the Titanosaurs.
Experts said the dinosaurs may have laid eggs there due to the heat of the ground. They believe that after this egg is laid, a nearby volcano erupted and debris and lava covered it. After the rock solidified, the water inside the egg seeped through the rock and the shell to create the agate.
Now, the egg is currently in the Titanosaur: Life as the Biggest Dinosaur exhibit, alongside a model created from a 3D scan of the specimen.
References: Live Science.
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