China's 200+ Pterosaur Eggs Hint at Early Flight Development
In northwestern China, researchers uncovered more than 200 fossilized eggs from the flying reptile Hamipterus tianshanensis in a single sandstone block, including at least 16 embryos preserved in three dimensions. Dated to about 120 million years ago in the early Cretaceous, the find provides one of the largest pterosaur egg collections and suggests rapid burial by floodwaters aided preservation. CT scans indicate that some embryos lacked fully developed wing structures while the femur was well developed, implying hatchlings might have been flightless; however, researchers caution against over-interpretation. The discovery greatly expands sample size for studying egg and embryo variation and the origins of flight in pterosaurs.
