Megaloolithus
Megaloolithus is an oogenus of dinosaur egg.[1] Some eggs belonging to this oogenus may have been laid by the titanosaur Hypselosaurus. They are known for having thick eggshells, at least 1.5 millimetres (0.059 in) thick, and the nearly spherical shape of the eggs.[2] They are primarily found in India and Europe, but some specimens have been found in South America.[3]
| Megaloolithus Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Megaloolithus at the Museum d'Histoire Naturelle Aix-en-Provence. Eggs of titanosaurid, possibly Hypselosaurus priscus | |
Egg fossil classification  | |
| Basic shell type: | †Dinosauroid-spherulitic |
| Oofamily: | †Megaloolithidae |
| Oogenus: | †Megaloolithus Mikhailov, 1991 |
| Oospecies | |
Species
- M. aureliensis
- M. baghensis
- M. cylindricus
- M. dhoridungriensis
- M. jabalpurensis
- M. khempurensis
- M. mamillare
- M. megadermus
- M. microtuberculata
- M. mohabeyi
- M. petralta
- M. problematica
- M. siruguei
- M. trempii
- M. patagonicus
Distribution
Fossils of Megaloolithus have been found in:[4]
- Anacleto Formation - Argentina
- Argiles et Grés à Reptiles, Rognacian, Marnes Rouges Inférieures & Marnes Rouges de Roquelongue Formation - France
- Lameta Formation - India
- Sânpetru Formation - Romania
- Figuerola, La Maçana & Tremp Formations - Spain
Gallery
Hypselosaurus eggs, Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, Paris
A Hypselosaurus egg (Dinosaurland, Lyme Regis)
Megaloolithus siruguei of the Tremp Formation
References
- Carpenter, K. 1999. Eggs, Nests, and Baby Dinosaurs: A Look at Dinosaur Reproduction (Life of the Past). Indiana University Press, Bloomington, Indiana.
- K. E. Mikhailov. 1991. Classification of fossil eggshells of amniotic vertebrates. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 36(2):193-238
- Paleobiology Database
- Megaloolithus at Fossilworks.org
Further reading
- Bravo, Ana María; Bernat Vila; Àngel Galobart, and Oriol Oms. 2005. Restos de huevos de dinosaurio en el Cretácico Superior del sinclinal de Vallcebre (Berguedà, provincia de Barcelona) - Remains of dinosaur eggs in the Upper Cretaceous of the Vellcebre syncline (Berguedà, Barcelona province). Revista Española de Paleontología 10. 49–57. Accessed 2018-05-24. (in Spanish)
- Vila, Bernat; Frankie D. Jackson; Josep Fortuny; Albert G. Sellés, and Àngel Galobart. 2010. 3-D Modelling of Megaloolithid Clutches: Insights about Nest Construction and Dinosaur Behaviour. PLoS One 5. 1–13. Accessed 2018-05-24.
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