Comments on: Baby Dinosaur Mystery

By: Herman Diaz

Herman Diaz — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 16:53:13 +0000

“The baby dromaeosaurids could have been the prey of adult oviraptorosaurs, might have been trying to prey on oviraptorosaur eggs, or, after death, could have been transported a short distance into in oviraptorosaur nest.”

Probably the latter ( http://dml.cmnh.org/2011Jul/msg00114.html ). Also, we now know that they were troodontids (Probably Byronosaurus), not dromaeosaurids. Otherwise, good blog post as usual.

“In 1993, fieldwork at another Gobi Desert site uncovered similar eggs, and, fortuitously, same of the eggs preserved the delicate skeletons of near-term embryos.’

When you said “same”, I think you meant “some”.

By: james robins

james robins — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 23:13:31 +0000

I may be wrong but wasn’t it the case that troodontid eggs were found in association with Maiasaur nest sites, OK not in the same nests, but adjacent…..J

By: Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 20:00:34 +0000

One thing to note: these specimens were subsequently identified as troodontid perinates, not dromaeosaurids:

Bever, G.S. & M.A. Norell. 2009). The Perinate Skull of Byronosaurus (Troodontidae) with Observations on the Cranial Ontogeny of Paravian Theropods. American Museum Novitates 3657:1-52.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1206/650.1

By: Matt Martyniuk

Matt Martyniuk — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 13:40:34 +0000

This mystery may have been solved, though not published yet (but seeing as how it’s already been discussed on the DML…):
http://dml.cmnh.org/2011Jul/msg00114.html

Additionally, while the original paper described these as dromaeosaurid embryos/hatchlings, a later paper identified them as skulls of perinate troodontids, specifically Byronosaurus jaffei.

Bever, G.S. and Norell, M.A. (2009). “The perinate skull of Byronosaurus (Troodontidae) with observations on the cranial ontogeny of paravian theropods.” American Museum Novitates, 3657: 51 pp.

By: albertonykus

albertonykus — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 13:16:54 +0000

I think said "dromaeosaurid" hatchlings have been reassigned to the troodont Byronosaurus. Additionally, there is reportedly unpublished evidence that the troodont hatchlings tumbled into the Citipati nest from higher ground.