Fossilized dinosaur eggs have been found by paleontologists for centuries. Modern-day dinosaurs – alligators, crocodiles, snapping turtles, birds, etc. – have ben seen sitting on or near nests of eggs. It would seem logical that paleontologists would find fossilized dinosaurs sitting on nests of fossilized eggs about to hatch. Yet that has never been the case … until now.
“This kind of discovery, in essence fossilized behavior, is the rarest of the rare in dinosaurs. Though a few adult oviraptorids have been found on nests of their eggs before, no embryos have ever been found inside those eggs. In the new specimen, the babies were almost ready to hatch, which tells us beyond a doubt that this oviraptorid had tended its nest for quite a long time. This dinosaur was a caring parent that ultimately gave its life while nurturing its young.”