The Zhutian and Dafeng formations （Upper Cretaceous） of the Heyuan Basin in northeastern Guangdong Province, China, have produced thousands of dinosaur eggs. Macromorphological features （egg diameter, egg shape, ou...The Zhutian and Dafeng formations （Upper Cretaceous） of the Heyuan Basin in northeastern Guangdong Province, China, have produced thousands of dinosaur eggs. Macromorphological features （egg diameter, egg shape, outer surface texture, and shell thickness） of 461 eggs were analyzed using non-destructive techniques and subjected to statistical analyses in order to assess their diversity and taxonomic affinities. Three types （1, 2 and 3） of eggs were discerned based on shape and outer surface morphology. Type 1 eggs are spherical to ellipsoidal in shape and have a rough surface. Three subtypes （Type 1-A-l, l-A-2, and l-B） are apparent from scatter plots and cluster analyses of egg diameters and shell thickness. Type 2 eggs are elongate with linear ornamentation on the surface, and are comparable to eggs that belong to the oofamily Elongatoolithidae. Type 3 eggs are elongate with a smooth surface, and are assigned to the oofamily Prismatoolithidae. Macromorphological features of the various egg types suggest that Type 1 could have been laid by ornithischian, sauropod or therizinosaur dinosaurs, Type 2 by oviraptorids, and Type 3 by troodontids. This study represents the first comprehensive statistical analysis of macrofeatures of dinosaur eggs, and reveals taxonomic diversity in the dinosaurs that were laying eggs in the Upper Cretaceous Heyuan area heretofore unrecognized in skeletal remains.展开更多
The red beds of the northern Heyuan Basin （Guangdong Province, China） are more than 4,000 m thick. Based on the lithological characters, in ascending order these beds are divided into the Dafeng Formation, Zhutian F...The red beds of the northern Heyuan Basin （Guangdong Province, China） are more than 4,000 m thick. Based on the lithological characters, in ascending order these beds are divided into the Dafeng Formation, Zhutian Formation, and Zhenshui Formation of the Nanxiong Group, Shanghu Formation and Danxia Formation. The Nanxiong Group with relatively mature coarse clastic rocks attains about 2940 m in thickness. The Dafeng Formation is 837 m thick, consisting of conglomerates and sandy conglomerates; the Zhutian Formation, which is 1.200 m thick, consists of purplish red sandstone with gravels, poorly sorted sandstone, feldspathic quartzose sandstone banded granular conglomerate, siltstone, and sandy mudstone. The Zhutian Formation is rich in calcareous concretions. Heyuannia （Oviraptoridae） and turtle fossils were found in this formation. The Zhenshui Formation deposited to a thickness of 900 m consists of coarse sediments, including granular conglomerate, and gravelly sandstone with well developed cross-beddings; the Shanghu Formation, which is 820 m thick, consists of purplish red granular conglomerate coarse sandstone intercalated with fine si^tstone; the Danxia Formation characterized by the Danxia ~andform is composed of coarse c^astic gravels and sandy gravels. The lower part of the Nanxiong Group whence dinosaur eggs and derived oviraptorosaurs come, belongs to the Late Cretaceous. No fossils are found in the Shanghu Formation or the Danxia Formation, but their stratigraphic order of superposition on the Nanxiong Group clearly shows their younger age.展开更多
基金supported by agrant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (40872017)
文摘The Zhutian and Dafeng formations （Upper Cretaceous） of the Heyuan Basin in northeastern Guangdong Province, China, have produced thousands of dinosaur eggs. Macromorphological features （egg diameter, egg shape, outer surface texture, and shell thickness） of 461 eggs were analyzed using non-destructive techniques and subjected to statistical analyses in order to assess their diversity and taxonomic affinities. Three types （1, 2 and 3） of eggs were discerned based on shape and outer surface morphology. Type 1 eggs are spherical to ellipsoidal in shape and have a rough surface. Three subtypes （Type 1-A-l, l-A-2, and l-B） are apparent from scatter plots and cluster analyses of egg diameters and shell thickness. Type 2 eggs are elongate with linear ornamentation on the surface, and are comparable to eggs that belong to the oofamily Elongatoolithidae. Type 3 eggs are elongate with a smooth surface, and are assigned to the oofamily Prismatoolithidae. Macromorphological features of the various egg types suggest that Type 1 could have been laid by ornithischian, sauropod or therizinosaur dinosaurs, Type 2 by oviraptorids, and Type 3 by troodontids. This study represents the first comprehensive statistical analysis of macrofeatures of dinosaur eggs, and reveals taxonomic diversity in the dinosaurs that were laying eggs in the Upper Cretaceous Heyuan area heretofore unrecognized in skeletal remains.
文摘The red beds of the northern Heyuan Basin （Guangdong Province, China） are more than 4,000 m thick. Based on the lithological characters, in ascending order these beds are divided into the Dafeng Formation, Zhutian Formation, and Zhenshui Formation of the Nanxiong Group, Shanghu Formation and Danxia Formation. The Nanxiong Group with relatively mature coarse clastic rocks attains about 2940 m in thickness. The Dafeng Formation is 837 m thick, consisting of conglomerates and sandy conglomerates; the Zhutian Formation, which is 1.200 m thick, consists of purplish red sandstone with gravels, poorly sorted sandstone, feldspathic quartzose sandstone banded granular conglomerate, siltstone, and sandy mudstone. The Zhutian Formation is rich in calcareous concretions. Heyuannia （Oviraptoridae） and turtle fossils were found in this formation. The Zhenshui Formation deposited to a thickness of 900 m consists of coarse sediments, including granular conglomerate, and gravelly sandstone with well developed cross-beddings; the Shanghu Formation, which is 820 m thick, consists of purplish red granular conglomerate coarse sandstone intercalated with fine si^tstone; the Danxia Formation characterized by the Danxia ~andform is composed of coarse c^astic gravels and sandy gravels. The lower part of the Nanxiong Group whence dinosaur eggs and derived oviraptorosaurs come, belongs to the Late Cretaceous. No fossils are found in the Shanghu Formation or the Danxia Formation, but their stratigraphic order of superposition on the Nanxiong Group clearly shows their younger age.
