East Asia, China, Henan Province, late Cretaceous, ca. 100 to 65 million years ago. A pair of round fossilized eggs preserved in their original matrix, which is deep red compacted sandstone, from a member of the hadrosaur family (Hadrosauridae). The Hadrosaurids are also known as the duck-billed dinosaurs, a herbivorous type of animal and a facultative biped, meaning that they walked on two legs when young and four when adults. They had large jaws with multiple rows of teeth for grinding plants. They had large noses; some of them also had crests atop their heads which are still of unknown use: perhaps to attract mates, scare predators by appearing large, or make trumpeting sounds. Hadrosaurs were scaled, not feathered, based on skin impressions. We think that they were muscular animals who could have outrun contemporary predators, like tyrannosaurs. Size: 11" L x 5.875" H (27.9 cm x 14.9 cm)

In the past few decades, paleontological research in China has rewritten our knowledge of dinosaurs, especially the later Cretaceous period, which was previously known mainly from western North America. Incredible finds of fossilized skeletal remains, eggs, nests, footprints, and related non-dinosaur animals and plants have given us a new understanding of how dinosaurs lived - and how they parented. Some experts believe these animals were devoted parents, nurturing their children from eggs through childhood.

Provenance: ex-Donald B. Saxman collection, Tomball, Texas, USA

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#146404

Both eggs reattached to one another at matrix, with chips and light adhesive residue along break lines. Small losses to surfaces as shown.