Preprismatoolithus is a Late Jurassic oogenus. The species P. coloradensis is described by John Foster as being "of the prismatic basic type," with subspherical eggs about 10 cm (4 inches) in diameter. This oospecies was first attributed to "hypsilophodontid" dinosaurs, although an initial lack of associated embryo material made confirming the egg-layer's identity impossible. After a finding in Portugal associated prismatic basic types with embryos, it now is known to be theropod.
Eggshell present in great abundance at the so-called "Young Egg Locality" which seems to have been a dinosaur nesting ground. Congeneric eggshell fossils are found at additional Colorado sites including the Fruita Paleontological Area, the Uravan Locality and Garden Park.
See also
Footnotes
- Foster, J. (2007). Jurassic West: The Dinosaurs of the Morrison Formation and Their World. Indiana University Press. 389pp. ISBN 978-0-253-34870-8.
References
"Another Generation: The Eggs," Foster (2007) page 239. ↩
"Eggs," Foster (2007) page 125. ↩
"Another Generation: The Eggs," Foster (2007) page 239. ↩
Ribeiro, V., Mateus O., Holwerda F., Araújo R., & Castanhinha R. (2013). Two new theropod egg sites from the Late Jurassic Lourinhã Formation, Portugal. Historical Biology. (ahead-of-print), 1-12. ↩
"Another Generation: The Eggs," Foster (2007) page 239. ↩
"Another Generation: The Eggs," Foster (2007) page 239. ↩