约8600万年前的恐龙蛋有了“出生证明”

Core Viewpoint - A research team has confirmed the age of dinosaur egg fossils found in the Qinba Mountains of Hubei Province, dating them to approximately 86 million years ago, providing significant insights into the climatic conditions during that period [1]. Group 1: Research Findings - The research utilized carbonate dating technology for the first time in the study of Cretaceous dinosaur eggs, determining the age of the biogenic calcite within the egg shells to be between 87.65 million and 84.17 million years ago [1]. - The findings indicate that the dinosaur egg-laying events occurred during a global cooling period that began around 93 million years ago, marking a significant climatic transition [1]. Group 2: Historical Context - Dinosaur egg fossils were first discovered in the Qinglong Mountain area in the 1990s, leading to the establishment of a national nature reserve in 2001, which currently protects over 3,000 dinosaur egg fossils [1]. - Despite the discoveries, the specific age of these dinosaur eggs had remained a mystery until this recent research [1]. Group 3: Future Research Implications - The current study does not cover all layers of the buried dinosaur egg fossils, indicating that further research is needed to fully reconstruct the egg-laying events and establish a timeline for the evolution of dinosaur egg morphology in the region [3]. - This research provides a new approach for determining the burial times of different dinosaur egg fossils globally and offers theoretical tools for exploring ancient climate changes and the mysteries of dinosaur evolution and extinction [3].