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A massive egg discovered that researchers initially believed to be a dinosaur has been reexamined and determined that it once belonged to a giant tortoise five feet long – and that it contains a fossilized embryo.
The almost spherical tennis ball-sized egg, which measures 2.1 inches by 2.3 inches and was discovered in China’s Henan Province, belonged to the Nanhsiungchelyidae group of turtles, and perhaps the Yuchelys nanyangensis species.
An egg believed to have come from a dinosaur has been reexamined and determined to belong to a turtle – with a fossilized embryo inside. Tennis ball-sized egg discovered in Henan province, China
Nanhsiungchelyidae (artist rendering) flourished 90 million years ago, but died along with the dinosaurs
This now extinct turtle flourished during the Late Cretaceous period, around 90 million years ago.
However, Nanhsiungchelyidae died along with the dinosaurs, Live Science reported.
Experts believe that the thick shell of the egg allowed water to pass through it, so it was buried deep underground and did not dry out, allowing the embryo to remain after all these years.
“Spherical eggs may also reduce water loss, and the thickening of the eggshell in some reptiles may be an adaptation to an arid climate,” the researchers wrote in the study.
“Spherical eggs with thickened shells (about 0.7-1.0 mm) of Cretaceous turtles are also suggested to have been adapted to arid environments. “
Experts believe the thick shell of the egg allowed water to pass through it, so it was buried underground, allowing the embryo to remain
In contrast, modern turtle eggs, although they vary by species, are typically a few inches long and thin as paper, according to the Gnaraloo Wilderness Foundation.
For comparison, the eggs of leatherback turtles, the largest in the world, are 5.3 cm in diameter and can weigh up to 90 grams on average, according to Sea Turtle Conservancy.
One of the study’s co-authors, Darla Zelenitsky, told CBC the egg was found near an ancient river, which may have helped preserve the egg when it overflowed. .
“During the rainy season, these river systems may have overflowed and buried the eggs that were in the floodplain, potentially preserving them as fossils,” Zelenitsky told Canadian media.
The Henan region is also known for its many fossilized dinosaur eggs.
The researchers also used the egg to estimate the size of the shell, the top of the turtle’s shell, with an equation using its mass.
They discovered that the turtle was probably 5.3 feet long, taller than some humans.
Zelenitsky told LiveScience that part of the egg was broken, so “maybe he tried to hatch” and failed.
Two other sets of eggs have already been discovered in Henan province that date from the Cretaceous Period and likely belong to this turtle family, the researchers wrote in the study.
“The egg (…) is comparable to some fossil eggs attributed to Chinese Cretaceous turtles,” the researchers wrote.
The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology tweeted that fossils of turtles from the same family have been found in Alberta, Canada, but no eggs have been found to date.
The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology tweeted that fossils of turtles from the same family have been discovered in Alberta, Canada, but no eggs have been found to date
The study was published earlier this week in the scientific journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
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