Dinosaur embryo found inside fossilised egg in China

This picture has been used for representational purpose

In a major scientific breakthrough, a team of international scientists have discovered a perfectly preserved embryo, almost prepared to hatch, inside a fossilised egg in China.

According to a News 18 report, this dates back to more than 66 million years ago and is being called the most complete specimen recorded by the scientific community, BBC reported.

The discovery was made in Ganzhou, Southern China, and the specimen inside the embryo has been nicknamed Yingliang beibei or ‘Baby Yingliang'. With a total length of 27 centimetres, curled inside the fossil egg which is 17 centimetres long.

Baby Yingliang's posture resembles a modern bird more than that of any previously recorded dinosaur. And it has been classified into an Oviraptorsauria specimen, which is a theropod covered in feathers. In a behaviour classified as tucking, the feet of the specimen were on either side, with a curled back and head beneath the body. It is a defense mechanism for chicks while hatching as failure to tuck may cause unsuccessful hatching.

Fion Waisum Ma, a researcher at the University of Birmingham and co-author of the research paper said that this meant that behaviour displayed by modern birds may have originated from that of their dinosaur ancestors.

Professor Steve Brusatte of the University of Edinburgh, who is part of the research team, said, "This dinosaur embryo inside its egg is one of the most beautiful fossils I have ever seen."

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