Haul of dinosaur egg fossils are discovered by road workers carrying out repairs in city centre

Haul of dinosaur egg fossils are discovered by road workers carrying out repairs in city centre

Mangalore Today News Network

April 24, 2015: The 43 eggs could be up to 230 million years old, and archaeologists are carrying out tests to establish which species they belonged to

An egg-citing discovery: A total of 43 dinosaur egg fossils were found by road workers

Road workers have discovered dozens of dinosaur egg fossils buried under a city.

A total of 43 eggs, 19 of which were fully intact, were found by workers carrying out road repairs in the city of Heyuan, in southern China’s Guangdong Province.

It is likely that the eggs will be somewhere between 65 and 230 million-years-old, dating back to the Mesozoic Era when tyrannosaurus rex and co roamed the Earth.



Discovery: The eggs were found in the rock strata of red sandstone

Archaeologist Du Yuanli, who runs the local dinosaur museum, said the eggs were grouped together in 14 different fossils, with the largest egg measuring 13cm in diameter.

Tests will now be carried out to establish the species of the dinosaur eggs.

Yuanli said: "The eggs were found in the rock strata of red sandstone, an environment in which other dinosaur egg fossils have also previously been found.

New species of dinosaur discovered - and it’s one of the biggest that ever lived

"Further examination of the fossils is required to determine the species of the dinosaur eggs."

Something of a dinosaur hotspot, Heyuan has seen its fair share of dinosaur discoveries, with bones, footprints and eggs all found in the region in the not so distant past.

Egg-cellent stuff: The eggs were grouped together in 14 different fossils

However, the most recent discovery is the largest of its kind in the city centre.

Yuanli urged residents and construction workers to be cautious if they make a discovery, and asked them to inform authorities if they find anything dinosaur-related.

In 2004, the Heyuan Dinosaur Fossil Museum was recognised by the Guinness World Records for housing the world’s largest collection of dinosaur egg fossils – 10,008 to be exact.

 

Courtesy: London Mirror