Chinese Journal of Nature ›› 2007, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (5): 272-277.

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Reproductive behavior of dinosaur:evidence from the egg(embryo )fossils

ZHANG Yu-Guang   

  1. Department of Paleontology, Beijing Natural History Museum, Beijing 100050
  • Received:2007-07-16 Revised:2007-07-16 Online:2007-10-25 Published:2007-10-25

Abstract: The study of the reproductive behavior of dinosaur has never produced as much excitement and public attention as in the past period. Well preserved and abundant new dinosaur fossils of eggs and embryos have provided unprecedented new evidence on the reproductive behavior of dinosaur. It is apparent that dinosaurs shared some reproductive characters with crocodilians, some with birds, but also possessed their own unique features. Thus, studies on the oviposition﹑nesting and incubation of dinosaur not only help us to understand the evolutionary history of reproductive behavior of dinosaur, but also illuminate the dinosaurian egg shape and thermoregulation.

Key words: Dinosaur,Eggs,Embryos,Reproductive behavior,Thermoregulation