Preprismatoolithus

Preprismatoolithus is a Late Jurassic oogenus. The species P. coloradensis is described by John Foster as being "of the prismatic basic type,"[1] with subspherical eggs about 10 cm (4 inches) in diameter.[2] This oospecies has been initially attributed to "hypsilophodontid" dinosaurs, although a lack of associated embryo material currently makes confirming the egg-layer's identity impossible,[1] but now is known to be theropod after the finding in Portugal,[3] associated with the embryos.

Preprismatoolithus
Temporal range: Late Jurassic
Egg fossil classification
Basic shell type: †Dinosauroid-prismatic
Oofamily: †Prismatoolithidae
Oogenus: †Preprismatoolithus
Zelenitsky & Hills, 1996

Eggshell present in great abundance at the so-called "Young Egg Locality" which seems to have been a dinosaur nesting ground.[1] Congeneric eggshell fossils are found at additional Colorado sites including the Fruita Paleontological Area, the Uravan Locality and Garden Park.[1]

See also

Footnotes
  1. "Another Generation: The Eggs," Foster (2007) page 239.
  2. "Eggs," Foster (2007) page 125.
  3. Ribeiro, V., Mateus O., Holwerda F., Araújo R., & Castanhinha R. (2013). Two new theropod egg sites from the Late Jurassic Lourinhã Formation, Portugal. Historical Biology. (ahead-of-print), 1-12.

References
  • Foster, J. (2007). Jurassic West: The Dinosaurs of the Morrison Formation and Their World. Indiana University Press. 389pp. ISBN 978-0-253-34870-8.
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