Tipoolithusis anoogenusoffossil eggnative to theIrbzer Formationin Morocco. Its classification is uncertain, but it most closely resemblesLaevisoolithids,and like members of thatoofamily,it was laid by anenantiornithinebirdor smalltheropod.
| Tipoolithus Temporal range:
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Egg fossil classification
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| Basic shell type: | Ornithoid |
| Morphotype: | Ornithoid-ratite |
| Oofamily: | †Laevisoolithidae |
| Oogenus: | †Tipoolithus Garciaet al.,2003 |
| Oospecies | |
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Description
editTipoolithusis known from 12 small fragments of eggshell, so characteristics of the whole egg (like size and shape) are unknown. The eggshell is thin, between 0.40-0.65 mm. The continuous layer is up to twice as thick as the mammillary layer.[1]
It has an angusticanaliculate pore system, meaning that the pores a narrow, straight, and widely spaced on the eggshell, which is well adapted to a dry environment to prevent water loss through the eggshell.[2]TipoolithusresemblesPorituberoolithusin its microstructure and thickness, and resemblesSubtiliolithusin its pore system.[1]
The eggshell ofT. achloujensisseems to have dispersituberculate ornamentation, i.e., covered with randomly dispersed nodes, but some fragments show alignments or clusters of nodes, though none are complete enough to determine the full structure of its ornamentation. The nodes have sharp tips.[1]
Parataxonomy
editSince the only known eggshells are poorly preserved, classifyingTipoolithusis difficult. It can certainly be classified into the Ornithoid-Ratite morphotype, and its similarity toSubtiliolithussuggests Laevisoolithid (Enantiornithes) affinities.[1]
References
edit- ^abcdGarcia, G., Tabuce, R., Cappetta, H., Marandat, B., Bentaleb, I., Benabdallah, A., & Vianey-Liaud, M. (2003). "First record of dinosaur eggshells and teeth from the North-West African Maastrichtian (Morocco)."Palaeovertebrata32(2-4): 59-69.
- ^Carpenter, K. (1999)Eggs, Nests, and Baby Dinosaurs: A Look at Dinosaur Reproduction.Indiana University Press. p. 141.
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