MOSCOW, November 13 - RIA Novosti. Scientists from the Paleontological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and three Russian universities found a fossilized dinosaur egg from the Cretaceous period in the Kemerovo region, which became the first find of its kind for Russia, according to an article published in the journal Historical Biology.

“The discovery of fragments of a fossilized dinosaur egg near the village of Shestakovo is a very important and historical discovery for us, since similar finds dating back to the beginning of the Cretaceous period have never been made in Russia before. Most likely, this egg was laid by a small predatory dinosaur, Troodon, or some kind of primitive bird,” write Pavel Skuchas from St. Petersburg State University and his colleagues.

Scientists: Some dinosaurs built nests and hatched eggs like birdsAnalysis of the structure of the eggshells of about 30 species of large and small dinosaurs showed that some of them did not bury their eggs in warm sand, as crocodiles do, but laid them in open nests and presumably incubated them.

Until recently, scientists knew only a few examples of fossilized dinosaur eggs and fragments of their shells, but in the last two decades the picture has changed radically - now scientists know hundreds of fossilized dinosaur eggs of various species.

In recent years, paleontologists have found several “egg cemeteries” in northern China and the Mongolian part of the Gobi Desert, and dozens of eggs of the largest dinosaurs on Earth in Argentina. Thanks to them, we know that some dinosaurs were warm-blooded creatures that hatched eggs in much the same way as modern birds do.

This “revolution,” as scientists note, did not actually affect Russia - only one similar find was made on the territory of our country. In 2009, a group of paleontologists led by Pascal Godefroit managed to find fragments of a fossilized egg in rocks that formed shortly before the extinction of dinosaurs in Chukotka. All subsequent high-profile statements about the discovery of dinosaur eggs turned out to be “canards” or mistakes of amateur paleontologists who confused unusually shaped stones with fossils.

Scientists have calculated the body temperature of dinosaurs from the shells of their eggsThe shells of dinosaur eggs for the first time allowed scientists to “feel” their body temperature, an analysis of the values of which showed that many “terrible lizards” were not truly warm-blooded.

Skuchas and his colleagues discovered the first fragments of the “Russian” egg of dinosaurs that lived in our country at the beginning of the Cretaceous period, conducting excavations in the vicinity of the village of Shestakovo in the south of the Kemerovo region. This village and its surroundings have long been considered the “capital” of dinosaurs in Siberia, as scientists regularly find here the remains of large and small ancient dinosaurs, as well as other animals of the Mesozoic era, since the mid-1950s.

In August 2008, Russian scientists were lucky - they managed to find two large fragments of the same dinosaur egg, whose dimensions were approximately three centimeters. By cutting off small fragments of the shell, scientists were able to calculate its thickness - approximately 0.5 millimeters, and understand that their find is very similar in structure to fossilized eggs found in neighboring Mongolia, and belongs to a predatory feathered lizard or protobird.

There was a mysterious discovery of dinosaur eggs by a shepherd from the village of Mokraya Olkhovka. About 15(!) fossilized eggs were found in shallow ravines. The diameter of each egg is 1-1.2 meters.

For many residents of the nearby village, this discovery was not unexpected. They say that similar dinosaur “surprises” were found here even before the war. One of the old-timers claims that such finds were dug out of wells and left on the street for beauty. After the war, people continued to find strange fossils, but they no longer attached much importance to them.

As before, neither scientists nor journalists can give a definite answer about the nature of this anomaly. Some argue that these are still the eggs of ancient dinosaurs that lived here millions of years ago. It has been scientifically confirmed that dinosaurs lived on the territory of the Volgograd region. Therefore, it would not be surprising to find eggs of these animals here. But in scientific practice such large eggs of these ancient animals have never been encountered. The largest are diplodocus eggs, 20 cm in diameter.

There are still a lot of different opinions and hypotheses: the fossils found could be the fruits of ancient marine plants, the site of an alien ship crash, or the phenomenon of iron rocks coming to the surface. The latter hypothesis is supported by the fact that these formations may be the consequences of geological excavations that took place here in the late 40s.

The list of various versions on this matter can be continued indefinitely. One of the official versions of scientists is nodules. Let us explain that nodules are formations of sand, clay and minerals created by nature over millions of years in sedimentary rocks on the seabed. Everything seems to be clear, if not for the facts that cast doubt on this assumption. The size of the found nodules is more than a meter; only a few such nodules have been found all over the world. The Volgograd fossils are unique not only for their size. They are hollow inside. In addition, the analysis showed that the inside of the eggs is sintered organic matter.....

Today, the site of the discovery of mysterious dinosaur eggs is especially popular among tourists. Many people want to photograph themselves next to anomalous fossils. If the hypothesis that these finds are, after all, eggs of ancient dinosaurs is subsequently confirmed, their study could lead to a sensation.

nest and clutch of a therizinosaurus, a theropod dinosaur that lived at the end of the Cretaceous period.

Ballista / Wikimedia commons

It seems that it was not birds who began to take care of laying eggs, but also theropod dinosaurs, and this began at least 80 million years ago. This conclusion was reached by paleontologists who discovered fossils of 15 clutches of eggs, reports the Geology, and also in an editorial in Nature. The percentage of chicks hatched, which scientists estimated from shell fragments, was quite high - about 60 percent. This percentage is observed in modern crocodiles or birds, which take care of the clutch and protect it from predators.

Communal nesting is characteristic of some modern birds, usually of the same species. In this case, the birds make nests close to each other. For example, in colonies of social weavers ( Philetairus socius) can arrange nests for up to 400 pairs of birds. This makes it easier for them to look after the nests, and in case of danger, the birds can raise the alarm and warn their neighbors. It was previously known that some species of dinosaurs practiced communal nesting. Thus, paleontologists discovered fossils of joint clutches of dinosaurs in Mongolia, in the Late Cretaceous Javkhlant formation. Some reptiles appeared to return to their nesting sites over many years.

Recently, paleontologists have received indirect evidence that dinosaurs, like modern birds or crocodiles, defended their nests. Darla Zelenitsky of the University of Calgary and her colleagues from four countries discovered fossils of at least 15 nests and more than 50 eggs in the Jawklant Formation. Scientists dated them to 80 million years ago. Some of the cubs have already hatched and fragments of the shell have been preserved from their eggs. The clutches were made during one season, as evidenced by a thin layer of sedimentary rocks that was common to all 15 clutches. Some of the sediment got into the broken eggshells and filled them. Researchers suggested that the nests died during a flood of a nearby river. Judging by the fact that some of the eggs were preserved unbroken, the flood was minor.

Based on the internal and external texture of the eggs and the thickness of the shell, scientists suggested that the nests were made by theropod dinosaurs - a large group of reptiles that included tyrannosaurs, ceratopsians and oviraptors. Based on the number of shell fragments, scientists estimated the percentage of hatchlings. It turned out to be quite high - about 60 percent. This is approximately the same number of young produced by modern birds and crocodiles, which take care of nests and ward off predators from them. The authors suggested that the theropods who laid the clutches probably also took care of them. If this is true, it means that defensive behavior first evolved in feathered dinosaurs, and allowed them to increase their offspring's chances of survival.

It's possible that theropods did take care of their nests, agrees paleontologist Daniel Barta of the University of California, Los Angeles, who was not involved in the study. But it is worth taking into account that eggs broken by predators look very similar to those from which the cubs hatched.

The clutches found apparently belonged to not very large dinosaurs, the diameter of the eggs in them reached 10-15 centimeters (for comparison, the diameter of ostrich eggs is 12-15 centimeters), and apparently they incubated them. And recently, paleontologists based on the nest of large dinosaurs and its structure suggested how large dinosaurs warmed the clutch without breaking or crushing the eggs. They probably laid their eggs around the perimeter of a large nest, and sat in the center and warmed them with their sides or limbs.

Ekaterina Rusakova

Dinosaurs were very large creatures, so it is generally accepted that their eggs reached enormous sizes. Is it really?

Where was the first dinosaur egg discovered? What are their sizes, according to scientists? What are they? Let's look at these questions.

First find

The year 1923 became a “pioneer” in documenting such a find as a dinosaur egg. Where and how did this happen? In Mongolia. A group of American paleontologists first discovered one egg, then several clutches. Bayin-Dzak became the “homeland” of this find. After studying the eggs found, scientists came to the conclusion that the clutch belonged to protoceratops.

Characteristic

Currently, more than 10 types of eggs belonging to one or another dinosaur species have been identified. The two types of shells that are known to scientists are characterized as single-layer and double-layer.

There are differences even between the forms of egg preservation. Paleontologists have found those that have been preserved almost completely. In addition, these eggs contained intact skeletons of dinosaur embryos.

There is such an interesting fact as a break in growth in the shell of eggs. Paleontologists are of the opinion that the female who carried the eggs fell into suspended animation. This slowed down the development of the shell. Then she came out of it, and the egg continued to develop.

It is worth paying attention to the nesting of dinosaurs. Judging by the choice of sites, representatives of different species lived in one small area. This suggests that ancient lizards were social. Together it was more convenient for them to take care of their offspring.

Dinosaur egg size

What kind of eggs did such large predators have? Oddly enough, but very small: no more than 50 centimeters.

Is the color only white? No, they found remains of pink shells and blue eggs.

Modern research

Previously, it was believed that looking for a dinosaur egg on Russian territory was a waste of time. However, scientists had to verify the opposite. Fragments of the shell along with the remains of teeth and claws were discovered in the Kolomensky district of the Moscow region, as well as in Siberia.

Now they are studying the aeration channels of dinosaur eggs and the elements that make up the eggshell. Scientists are seriously concerned about this issue.

Conclusion

We talked a little about what the dinosaur egg was. Where was it first discovered? We touched on the sizes of eggs, their colors and modern research.

TRIPS

In 2010, sensational news spread across the country's news agencies: fossilized dinosaur eggs were found in the Volgograd region! A resident of the village of Mokraya Olkhovka, Nikolai Pekhterev, came across strange round stone formations at the bottom of a small ravine. After heavy rain, part of the soil in the ravine was washed out - and an unidentified something appeared from under the 10-meter thickness of the earth... which was called the eggs of unknown dinosaurs. Under this name they went down in history. Of course, various researchers visited the “eggs” and made many conclusions.

In August 2016, we assembled a small expedition and went to see the wonder ourselves.

Mokraya Olkhovka is located in the Kotovsky district. An asphalt road leads here from Kotovo; getting to the village itself is not at all difficult.

The difficulties begin in the village itself. You drive into a village - and where, one wonders, are the dinosaur eggs? Of course, we started asking local residents this question, but here we need to understand the specifics of the area. The artifacts are located outside the village, among wide fields cut by dirt roads. The roads wind like streams - scattering, merging, intersecting with each other. Being on the ground, it is completely impossible to understand where the next dirt road is coming from and where it leads, and if it seems that the right road is leading in the right direction, whether it will turn after a hundred meters in a completely unnecessary direction.

Accordingly, when you talk to locals, trying to ask them for directions, you have a wonderful chance to feel mentally retarded: here a person explains to you that now you are driving straight, then you will see a turn to the left, then to the right, then straight and to the left, and there, a hundred meters later, it’s there – the right place. You're driving, you take a turn as explained, but you end up in the wrong place. Questions from the new person they meet lead to continued meandering along the dirt roads, although at the moment of explanation everything seems simple and clear. We circled around the area for several hours.

They stopped the car, climbed some hill, from where they tried to look for something similar to the description

Meeting a passerby in such places, I think it’s clear, is generally rare. These passers-by do not always look relaxed; they may come at you with a long knife, and then use this knife to show you the way in detail. At some point, we realized that a little more - and our patience would burst, and we would leave with nothing. And, as it should be, as soon as we thought about this, the place opened up to us! Almost by accident.

Here they are! The middle “egg,” judging by the photographs, five years ago did not have a large chip with a hole, but was the same smooth ball as the one on the far right

However, there are balls, ovals, and hemispheres, whole and destroyed. Located they are "haphazard", but heaped. Surely there are many more of the same around, just hidden under the thickness of the soil

By the way, this find is not unique for local residents. Similar things have been found here before. They are sometimes used for construction purposes, and sometimes laid out as a decorative element (however, we have not seen a single such decorative element).

Everyone has emptiness or foreign material inside

Three most notable

Inside is ancient fossilized material

A chip that didn't exist until recently

Severe destruction clearly shows the internal structure of the "dinosaur egg"

Another one like this in the ground

One of the few intact balls

Oval shape

And here is a huge stone that once lay inside an oblong “egg”

Both from afar and up close, these strange objects look impressive. However, despite the respect they inspire, it is impossible to call them eggs, even dinosaurs. It's not even about their size or the very large thickness of the walls. All these “eggs” are different, not a single one is the same, and their shapes, as I have already mentioned, are very different, from an almost regular ball to an oval, elongated in length so that the longitudinal radius is three times larger than the transverse one.

The question – what is this, in general, has long been known, although with some reservations.

Once upon a time, during the Mesozoic and Paleogene periods, the bottom of an ancient sea was located on this territory. In salty sea water, such “balls” sometimes roll up from sedimentary rocks, inside of which there is often a foreign object, which has become the “reason” around which the material begins to “roll down.” Such balls are called nodules. Concretions are still formed at the bottom of seas and oceans.

At close range, the nodules in Mokraya Olkhovka appear rusty

However, the nodules found near Mokra Olkhovka are unusual. They are very large in size (nodules of this size are rare). Laboratory analysis showed that they consist of 70% silicon dioxide, as well as iron and magnesium. This particular type of nodule is called a septaria.

Coming very close - mountains!

Despite the fact that the balls found are not dinosaur eggs, they are still very interesting, especially for city residents, for whom any large stone lying on the ground, unless it is a monument, is exotic. Unfortunately, the nodules found in 2010 are now subject to increased attention, and with it, destruction. Photos taken by other people several years ago and posted online show that many of the chips we saw were not there then.

Interest is good, but we must remember that we must not only satisfy it, but also preserve the subject of our interest, and not destroy it. Unfortunately, not everyone understands this.