An examination of fossil embryos of Massospondylus carinatus
An article published in the “Scientific Reports” journal reports a 3D reconstruction of some of the oldest known dinosaur embryos, which belong to the species Massospondylus carinatus. Kimberley “Kimi” Chapelle, Vincent Fernandez, and Jonah Choiniere subjected the fossils to a very special CT-scan, an exam that was conducted at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France, using an 844-meter-long particle accelerator. The result is that the eggs containing those embryos fossilized when they were at about 60% of their development, which is similar to that of some of the closest relatives of the dinosaurs existing today: crocodiles, chickens, turtles and lizards.
