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Titanosaur nesting sites of the Upper Cretaceous Lameta Formation of Lower Narmada Valley, India

Dr. Harsha Dhiman

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Location : Online
Abstract: The Indian sub-continent is rich in dinosaur oological remains however studies to understand palaeobiology and taphonomy of the Indian titanosaurs and their clutches is still limited. Hence these fossils have been studied from the continental Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Lameta Formation from the localities of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. These sites show 108 titanosaur nests and microstructure of the eggshells show six oospecies that indicate a high oospecies diversity. Physical observations of egg dimensions, nest type, and their relation with the rock support their nesting behavior to be similar to modern reptiles while the ovum-in-ovo egg pathology indicates their egg-laying manner to be like birds. The nests are documented from sandy limestone lithology and ferruginous sandstone is also present. Shrinkage cracks, autobrecciation, and alveolar-septal fabric support a palustrine environment with small lakes/ponds/wetlands in alluvial/fluvial setting. The nests laid close to pond margins suffered drowning/unhatching while those laid away hatched. The presence of Nitrogen-bearing macromolecules within some eggshells was possible because of desiccating conditions. A preliminary stable isotope analysis indicates that dinosaurs ate C3 vegetation and drank water from pools and/or fluvial channels in the freshwater palaeoenvironment. The presence of similar oospecies in France, Argentina and Morocco supports close palaeobiogeographic connections in the Late Cretaceous.

Meeting ID: 944 2649 3601
Passcode: 070134
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