Monday, January 14, 2013

[Paleontology • 2001] Citipati osmolskae | 'Lord of the Funeral Pyre' • A new oviraptorids (Theropoda: Oviraptorosauria), upper Cretaceous Djadokhta Formation, Ukhaa Tolgod, Mongolia

reconstructed Citipati fossil from Mongolia with 20 eggs


 the skeleton of the Dinosaur Citipati preserved on a nest of eggs.
The eggs are arrayed in a circle under the skeleton and are about 18cm long.
Credit: Nature (December 1995) http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/378774a0

Egg Cetera #2: The answer to the riddle of which came first

Citipati osmolskae with chicks 


Citipati (Hindi, meaning 'funeral pyre lord') is a genus of oviraptorid theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Period of what is now Mongolia (specifically, the Djadokhta Formation of Ukhaa Tolgod, in the Gobi Desert). It is one of the best-known oviraptorids, thanks to a number of well-preserved skeletons, including several specimens found in brooding positions atop nests of eggs. These nesting specimens have helped to solidify the link between non-avian dinosaurs and birds.

Citipati osmolskae


Clark, J.M., Norell, M.A., & Barsbold, R. 2001. Two new oviraptorids (Theropoda: Oviraptorosauria), upper Cretaceous Djadokhta Formation, Ukhaa Tolgod, Mongolia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 21(2): 209-213.