Giant dinosaurs found a clever way to keep their eggs warm near the Antarctic
Fossil eggshells from southern Patagonia show that titanosaurs were nesting at about 55° to 60° south latitude roughly 68 million years ago, farther from the equator than any previously documented sauropod nesting site. Microscopic analysis of 255 eggshell fragments revealed unusually high porosity, indicating that the eggs were probably buried in covered nests rather than exposed at the surface. The researchers propose that decaying vegetation could have supplied incubation heat in the cool, high-latitude environment, showing that giant sauropods had reproductive strategies flexible enough to extend into regions once thought challenging for nesting. Some of the largest animals ever to walk the planet were apparently raising their young surprisingly close to the ancient Antarctic region. Fossil eggshells from southernmost Patagonia show that titanosaurs nested at roughly 55° to 60° south latitude during the Late Cretaceous. The discovery pushes confirmed sauropod nesting farther from the equator than previously known and reveals how the giant dinosaurs may have incubated their eggs in a relatively cool environment. Researchers examined 255 eggshell fragments recovered from Argentina’s Chorrillo Formation, dating …
