'Abnormal' dinosaur egg discovered in Madhya Pradesh. What it means for evolution

(Image credit: www.nature.com)

Researchers from Delhi University have found an unusual fossilised dinosaur egg in Madhya Pradesh. One egg was nested in the other -- a condition called ovum-in-ovo, which has been found before in birds but never in reptiles.

The discovery was made in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district, in the Dinosaur Fossil National Park. It was published in peer-reviewed journal scientific reports.

Examining the fossilised egg of a titanosaurid dinosaur has opened up to researchers the possibility of a connection between the evolution of birds and reptiles.

“The discovery of ovum-in-ovo egg from a titanosaurid dinosaur nest suggests that their oviduct morphology was similar to that of birds opening up the possibility for sequential laying of eggs in this group of sauropod dinosaurs,” the study said. “This new find underscores that the ovum-in-ovo pathology is not unique to birds and sauropods share a reproductive behavior very similar to that of other archosaurs.”

In Madhya Pradesh’s Padlya village, close to where the ovum-in-ovo egg was found, there are 52 sauropod dinosaur nests.

Eggs found within others, eggs that are unusually small or big and those without yolks are classified as abnormal or pathological eggs.

Such eggs have to be protected from illegal collectors

“The pathologic ovum-in-ovo egg has now been shifted to the premises of Dinosaur Fossil National Park (designated by MP state government), close to Padlya village to keep it safe from illegal fossil collectors,” the study said.

Researchers celebrated the discovery as a “rare and important” find.

“No ovum-in-ovo egg was found in reptiles until now and as it brings out significant information on whether dinosaurs had a reproductive biology similar to that of turtles and lizards or their immediate cousins crocodiles and birds,” Guntupalli V.R. Prasad, the study’s corresponding author, told The Hindu.