Bauruoolithusis anoogenusof fossilized eggs belonging to an extinctcrocodyliformfrom theLate Cretaceous(late Campanian-early Maastrichtian) ofBrazil.Bauruoolithuseggs were most likely laid by thenotosuchiancrocodyliformBaurusuchus.Eggs ofBauruoolithuswere described in 2011 from theAdamantina Formation.ThetypeoospeciesisB. fragilis.[1]
| Bauruoolithus | |
|---|---|
Egg fossil classification
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| Basic shell type: | †Crocodiloid |
| Oofamily: | †Krokolithidae |
| Oogenus: | †Bauruoolithus Oliveiraet al.,2011 |
| Oospecies | |
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Description
editBauroolithuseggs are elongated, with a width measuring about half that of its height. The ends of the egg are blunt. At 0.15 to 0.25 millimeters in thickness, the shell is thin and somewhat wavy. The eggshell is divided into wedge-shaped shell units, which are pieces ofcalcareousaggregate. The surface of the shell is covered in small tear-shaped pores.[1]
Paleobiology
editBauroolithuseggs belong to the crocodyloid basic egg type. Overall, their morphology is similar to that of the eggs of livingcrocodylians.The eggs of living crocodylians undergo degradation over their incubation period so that hatchlings can easily break through the shells. Some fossils ofBauroolithusin Brazil are most likely from eggs that already hatched, but none show any signs of extensive degradation. This suggests that hatchlings broke through egg shells that were so thin that degradation was not necessary.[1]
References
edit- ^abcOliveira, C.E.M.; Santucci, R.M.; Andrade, M.B.; Fulfaro, V.J.; Basílo, J.A.F.; Benton, M.J. (2011)."Crocodylomorph eggs and eggshells from the Adamantina Formation (Bauru Group), Upper Cretaceous of Brazil".Palaeontology.54(2): 309–321.Bibcode:2011Palgy..54..309O.doi:10.1111/j.1475-4983.2010.01028.x.
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