Baby Yingliang

Dinosaur embryo fossil

Baby YingliangCatalog no.| YLSNHM01266

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Common name| Baby Yingliang
Species| Oviraptoridae indet.
Age| Late Cretaceous
Place discovered| Ganzhou, Jiangxi Province, China

Baby Yingliang (YLSNHM01266) is a remarkably preserved dinosaur embryo discovered in Ganzhou, southern China. It was discovered in rock layers of the Hekou Formation, which dates to the Late Cretaceous. The embryo belongs to an oviraptorid theropod dinosaur, and the egg is classified as elongatoolithid. The specimen has been described as one of the best dinosaur embryos ever found.[1] The specimen represents a late-stage embryonic individual preserved in a position similar to extant birds, and is the first example of this to be found in a non-avian dinosaur. In birds, this behavior is known as "tucking", and is controlled by the central nervous system. This positions the head below the body with the feet on either side of the head and the back curled. The position aids in successful hatching.[2][3] However, this interpretation of the specimen has been challenged, with some scientists suggesting that it cannot be directly compared to extant birds.[4]

Life restoration of the oviraptorid Nemegtomaia on a nest

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Perfectly preserved dinosaur embryo found in China". BBC News. 21 December 2021.
2. ^ Ahmed, Issam (2021-12-26). "Perfectly preserved dinosaur embryo was preparing to hatch like a bird". Phys.org. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
3. ^ Xing, Lida; Niu, Kecheng; Ma, Waisum; Zelenitsky, Darla K.; Yang, Tzu-Ruei; Brusatte, Stephen L. (2022). "An exquisitely preserved in-ovo theropod dinosaur embryo sheds light on avian-like prehatching postures". iScience. 25 (1): 103516. Bibcode:2022iSci...25j3516X. doi:10.1016/j.isci.2021.103516. PMC 8786642. PMID 35106456.
4. ^ Deeming DC, Kundrát M (2022). "Interpretation of fossil embryos requires reasonable assessment of developmental age". Paleobiology. 49: 68–76. doi:10.1017/pab.2022.21. S2CID 250938817.

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