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: | |
|---|---|
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
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.