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Name:
Saltasaurus robustus embryo
Age: Cretaceous
Formation: Allen Formation
Location: Rio Negro, Argentina
Size: Egg piece is about 3" across
This specimen is not for sale
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On November 17, 1998 a team of researchers announced in the journal, "Nature", the discovery of a dinosaur nesting ground strewn with many eggs, a few of which still had dinosaur embryo remains inside. A small handful of the eggs contained patches of delicate fossilized skin, providing the first glimpse of the soft tissue covering baby dinosaurs. The extraordinary new fossils represent a number of scientific firsts: the first dinosaur embryos to show fossilized skin; the first known embryos of the giant plant-eating dinosaurs called sauropods; and the first dinosaur embryos found in the Southern Hemisphere.
Well, believe it or not, this is one of those amazing eggs.
On the outside of this egg, the shell is beautifully preserved (see photo above). The fine reticulation of the eggshell is still intact. But the inside of this egg is what makes it so special! Many seperate pieces of skin from a dinosaur embryo are preserved (a few pieces are pictured below, many pieces are not pictured). You can easily see the distinct skin pattern on this section of embryo, and it is a unique skin pattern at that. And there is a substantial amount of skin preserved - it is definitely large enough for further scientific research.
This is truly an amazing fossil. It is a very important specimen for the study and understanding of dinosaur embryonic development.
Note: Argentina has now banned the export of all fossils. We will strictly abide by and enforce this law - we will not acquire new fossils from Argentina. However, this fossil was collected and exported prior to this law, and can be sold legally.
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