At least 250 fossilised eggs and over 90 nesting sites of the dinosaur titanosaurus, dating back about 67 million years, have been discovered in central India by scientists from the Delhi University, according to experts involved in the excavation.

The team of scientists, led by Delhi University’s Harsha Dhiman, found a hatchery of 256 eggs and 92 nests of titanosaurs — the largest dinosaurs to have ever lived — and apatosaurus at three sites in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. These sites are believed to be at least 67 million years old and some of the largest in the world where fossilised eggs have been found in such big numbers.

At least 250 fossilised eggs and over 90 nesting sites of the dinosaur titanosaurus, dating back about 67 million years, have been discovered in central India by scientists from the Delhi University, according to experts involved in the excavation.

The team of scientists, led by Delhi University’s Harsha Dhiman, found a hatchery of 256 eggs and 92 nests of titanosaurs — the largest dinosaurs to have ever lived — and apatosaurus at three sites in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. These sites are believed to be at least 67 million years old and some of the largest in the world where fossilised eggs have been found in such big numbers.

Guntupalli VR Prasad from the Delhi University’s department of geology, who is also the co-author of the study, said that the first site where the eggs were found was in MP’s Bagh district. He said that spots of a single egg, two-to-four eggs and even a large nest comprising 21 eggs were found in a 2km radius in the district.

“We have found that most of the eggs are in close proximity and considering the tall stature of these dinosaur species, it is indicative that the parents were probably unable to take care of these offsprings,” Prasad said.

He also said that other sites where these eggs have been found are between eastern MP’s Jabalpur, which is located in the upper Narmada Valley and Gujarat’s Balasinor — a span of about 900km. He said this is the longest nesting site of dinosaurs that has been discovered anywhere in the world. Before this, large dinosaur nesting sites were found in Argentina, Spain, China and Romania.

Scientists also said that another significant discovery at the site was of a pathologic egg, which is essentially an egg which has multiple shells. This is the first time, according to the researchers, that a multi-shell egg of a reptile has been discovered in the world. They said that this discovery could establish similarities between birds and reptiles, and their nesting habits.

“Pathologic eggs are usually seen in birds, where an egg goes back into the ovum and another egg is developed around it. This usually happens when an animal is under extreme stress possibly due to floods, volcanos, climate changes, etc. This discovery could establish how reptiles were actually more similar to birds,” Prasad said.

He also said that he started his work around the site back in 2012 and Dhiman, who was his student, joined him in 2014. Dhiman later took up the project for her PhD, and the team visited the sites till 2020, till Covid-19 pandemic impacted their work.