Egg fossil

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Fossilized dinosaur eggs displayed at Indroda Dinosaur and Fossil Park

Egg fossils are the

ancient animals. As evidence of the physiological processes of an animal, egg fossils are considered a type of trace fossil. Under rare circumstances a fossil egg may preserve the remains of the once-developing embryo inside, in which case it also contains body fossils. A wide variety of different animal groups laid eggs that are now preserved in the fossil record beginning in the Paleozoic. Examples include invertebrates like ammonoids as well as vertebrates like fishes, possible amphibians, and reptiles. The latter group includes the many dinosaur eggs that have been recovered from Mesozoic strata. Since the organism responsible for laying any given egg fossil is frequently unknown, scientists classify eggs using a parallel system of taxonomy separate from but modeled after the Linnaean system. This "parataxonomy
" is called veterovata.

History

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of egg fossil research.

The first named oospecies was

priest and amateur naturalist named Father Jean-Jacques Poech, however he thought they were laid by giant birds.[3]

The first scientifically recognized dinosaur egg fossils were discovered

early humans in Mongolia. Egg discoveries continued to mount all over the world, leading to the development of multiple competing classification schemes. In 1975 Chinese paleontologist Zhao Zi-Kui started a revolution in fossil egg classification by developing a system of "parataxonomy" based on the traditional Linnaean system to classify eggs based on their physical qualities rather than their hypothesized mothers. Zhao's new method of egg classification was hindered from adoption by Western scientists due to language barriers. However, in the early 1990s Russian paleontologist Konstantin Mikhailov brought attention to Zhao's work in the English language scientific literature.[3]

Diversity

Invertebrates

Eggs laid by invertebrate animals are known from the fossil record. Among these are eggs laid by ancient

belemnoids, have no documented eggs in the fossil record whatsoever, although this may be because scientists have not properly searched for them rather than an actual absence from the fossil record.[4]

Fishes and amphibians

Main article: Fish egg fossil

Fossil fish eggs have an extensive

amphibians.[5] Several fossilized fish or amphibian eggs have been classified as ichnogenera, including Mazonova,[6] Archaeoovulus, Chimaerotheca, Fayolia, and Vetacapsula.[7]

Reptiles

Main article: Reptile egg fossil

The fossil record of reptile eggs goes back at least as far as the

Dinosaur eggs are among the most well known kind of fossil reptile eggs.[3]

Classification

Fossil eggs are classified according to the parataxonomic system called Veterovata. There are three broad categories in the scheme, on the pattern of organismal phylogenetic classification, called oofamilies, oogenera and oospecies (collectively known as ootaxa).[2][10] The names of oogenera and oofamilies conventionally contain the root "oolithus" meaning "stone egg", but this rule is not always followed. They are divided up into several basic types: Testudoid, Geckoid, Crocodiloid, Dinosauroid-spherulitic, Dinosauroid-prismatic, and Ornithoid. Veterovata does not always mirror the taxonomy of the animals which laid the eggs.[3]

Parataxonomy

The oogenus level parataxonomy of Veterovata, following Lawver and Jackson (2014)[11] for Testudoid, Hirsch (1996)[12] for Geckonoid eggs, and Mikhailov et al. (1996)[2] for the rest unless otherwise noted:

Testudoid

Geckonoid

Crocodiloid

Mosasauroid

Dinosauroid-spherulitic

Oolithes spheroides

Dinosauroid-prismatic

Ornithoid

Incertae sedis/Unclassified

See also

References

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External links

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