Dinosaur Egg supports Evolutionary Link Between Birds And Dinosaurs

This article is about a recent discovery that a dinosaur called Troodon laid their eggs almost vertically, resulting in only the egg bottoms to be buried in mud. Based on the researchers calculations, the eggshells were very similar to those of brooding birds, which indicates that the eggs weren't completely buried in nesting material. Both the eggs and the surrounding sediments left on the eggs support partial burial, and thus an adult dinosaur would have covered the exposed eggs during incubation. While the nesting style for the Troodon is strange, there are similarities with a bird called the Egyptian Plover. Another factor of evidence is the number of pores in the eggshell that allow respiration, and the lesser number support the fact that the egg was exposed to the open air. This particular study helps substantiate that bird like nesting behavior patterns evolved from the meat eating dinosaurs, and it evolved prior to the origin of birds. This adds to a growing collection of evidence that shows a close connection between birds and dinosaurs.


NOS themes:
Science is based on evidence
Role of credibility
Role of skepticism

http://current.biologyguild.com/birds-and-dinosaurs/

Nic McKenney, Hour 1