Dinosaurs 'moved around inside eggs' like birds before hatching
THE discovery of over 200 fossils have revealed dinosaurs moved around inside eggs like modern birds before hatching, scientists announced today.
Embryos dating back nearly 200 million years are believed to show different stages of growth of the 26-foot long-necked sauropod Lufengosaurus.
Analysis of the fossilised bones discovered in China showed that, as with birds, muscles became active inside the egg and helped shape the skeleton.
Dr Robert Reisz, from the University of Toronto in Canada, said: "This suggests that dinosaurs, like modern birds, moved around inside their eggs.
"It represents the first evidence of such movement in a dinosaur."
The findings, reported in journal Nature, say the bones are the oldest collection of eggshells discovered to date.
The early Jurassic fossils are believed to have originated from several nests, but were washed by floodwater into the excavation site.
Dr Reisz said: "We are opening a new window into the lives of dinosaurs.
"This is the first time we've been able to track the growth of embryonic dinosaurs as they developed.
"Our findings will have a major impact on our understanding of the biology of these animals."