A story written in embryos
2001/09/28 Agirre Ruiz de Arkaute, Aitziber - Elhuyar Zientzia
have found numerous dinosaur bones, but few skulls have been collected that were whole because they are relatively fragile bones. On this occasion, however, skulls of two titanosaurs have been found, and the most surprising thing is that skulls are embryos.
Dinosaur skulls are quite fragile, so paleontologists have found very few specimens. The truth is that it is the first time that the skull of a titanosaur is in good condition.
However, the peculiarity of this discovery is that the two skulls they have taken out are the embryos. Therefore, in addition to the anatomy of dinosaurs, they can publicize their development and evolution.
The discovery was made in Patagonia, in the Argentinian area of Auca Mahuevos. Its rocks are formed by dinosaur eggs between 79 and 83 million years old. In 1998 the researcher at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, Luis Chiappe, and his Argentine companion, found eggs with bone, and the finding has been the continuation of this research.
Titanosaurs belong to the group of sauropods. They were long-necked herbivorous dinosaurs and probably one of the largest animals the Earth has ever known. In fact, the skulls found had a length of 4 cm and paleontologists have stated that they belong to the Upper Cretaceous.
In the research of embryonic skulls, we have sought to know the development of different episodes, which can clarify the evolution of sauropod species. They investigate the orientation of the brain box and the location of the nasal passages and discover that the developments of both were independent from each other. However, they point out that research should continue, as more features may appear to help clarify the evolution of these dinosaurs.
As the paleontologist Eric Buffetaut of the CNRS agency in Paris has pointed out, embryonic development does not necessarily have to reveal an evolutionary history, but the characteristics of embryos can be remnants of primitive sauropods. Embryo research can therefore be an original way to help reconstruct early evolution.
Gai honi buruzko eduki gehiago
Elhuyarrek garatutako teknologia
