The discovery of a fossilized dinosaur fetus preparing to hatch in the manner of birds

Scientists announced Tuesday that they have discovered an astonishingly preserved dinosaur embryo, dating back at least 66 million years, preparing to emerge from its egg in the same way as birds.

The researchers named Baby Yingliang on this fossil of egg-stealing lizards (Oviraptorosaurus), which was found in the Chinese city of Ganzhou.

The fossil is among the best dinosaur embryos found to date, Fion Wasim Ma of the University of Birmingham, a co-author of the study published in the journal iScience, told AFP.

When Baby Yingliang was found, his back was bent, his feet on either side of his head folded over his stomach.

This position was not previously seen in dinosaurs, but it is well known in birds.

When the chicks are preparing to hatch from the egg, they stick their head under one of their wings and pierce the egg with their beak.

Embryos that fail to adopt this position face a higher risk of dying due to a failed hatching process.

"This leads to the belief that the origin of such behavior in modern birds can be traced back to their dinosaur ancestors," Wisem explained.

As for the alternative, it may be similar to what crocodiles do, which adopt a sitting position, only tilting their heads towards their stomachs.

Oviraptorosaurs were a type of feathered dinosaur that lived in Asia and North America during the late Cretaceous period, and their shapes and diets could vary, and their sizes ranged between the sizes of apes and the sizes of a giant gigantoraptor with a length of eight meters.

Baby Yingliang is 27 centimeters long from head to tail and rests in a 17 centimeter egg at the Yingliang Stone Nature History Museum.

Scientists believe that this fossil dates back between 72 and 66 million years, and the fetus may have been preserved in good condition thanks to a layer of clay that shielded it from carrion eaters.

The fetus could have grown to two or three meters in size if it reached adulthood, and it would have been fed by plants.

This model belongs to a group that includes a large number of fossilized eggs, which were neglected and remained forgotten for years.

The researchers suspected that it might contain dinosaurs, so they broke part of the egg and found Baby Yingliang.

A statement quoted a member of the research team, Professor Steve Brusatte from the University of Edinburgh, as saying: "This dinosaur embryo, which is present in its egg, is one of the most beautiful fossils of all."

He noted that the model "exactly resembles a small bird folded in its egg, which provides further evidence that many characteristics of birds today derive from their dinosaur ancestors."

The researchers hope that they will be able to study the fetus more precisely by using imaging techniques, in order to reveal its entire skeleton.

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