Research groups such as the University of Tsukuba have announced that the oldest dinosaur eggshell fossil in Japan, which was found in a stratum in Gifu Prefecture 130 million years ago, is a new species.
The fossils identified as a new species are dinosaur egg shells found in 1999 and 2009 in a 130-million-year-old stratum in Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture.
As a result of detailed investigation by Assistant Professor Kohei Tanaka of the Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Tsukuba and research groups such as the Gifu Prefectural Museum, it was found that the egg of a dinosaur belonging to the Troodontidae family, which is close to the group of birds, among the same "theropods" as Tyrannosaurus rex. Although it resembles a shell, it was found to be a new species because the mesh pattern is not seen in other Troodontidae eggs.
The egg shell fossil of the new species was named "Ramoprismatouritus ookrai" after the name of its discoverer, Masatoshi Okura.
It is known to be the oldest egg shell fossil in Japan, and the University of Tsukuba says it is an important discovery for understanding the distribution of dinosaurs.
Rina Uematsu, a graduate student at the University of Tsukuba, who led research under the guidance of Assistant Professor Tanaka, said, "I would be happy if this was an opportunity for people around the world to learn about my research. I would like to continue researching various fossils." I'm talking to