The discovery of a new dinosaur found within 10 feet of its fossilized eggs is shedding light on how early reptiles reproduced and the evolution of the egg.
Qianlong shouhu, which means “Guizhou dragon guarding,” lived during the early Jurassic Period some 190 million years ago, when it was an early precursor to immense sauropod dinosaurs such as the brontosaurus. Q. shouhu, however, was not so large and weighed a mere ton and measured about 20 feet long. Also unlike brontosaurus, it walked on its two hind legs, a stance probably not shared by its young.
The researchers from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP), part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, learned a great deal about those young by CT scanning the egg fossils. By examining the curled-up skeletons, they concluded that Q. shouhu started out on all fours and at some point stood up and walked ...
