Crystal-Filled Dinosaur Eggs Found in Eastern China, No Embryos Inside
February 13, 2026
Two dinosaur eggs found in eastern China's Qianshan Basin surprised scientists. Instead of bones, the eggs were filled with clear calcite crystals. Found in red sandstone layers from the Upper Cretaceous Chishan Formation, the eggs are round and about 10 to 13 cm long with shells 2.6 mm thick. Microscope studies showed clear growth lines and packed shell structures. Scientists named the new species Shixingoolithus qianshanensis as no embryos were preserved.
The crystals formed after the eggs were buried and decomposed. Water carried minerals inside, filling empty spaces with calcite crystals over time. This process is common in fossils but unusual since the shell stayed intact while the embryo vanished.
Detailed eggshell features differed from known types, placing this find in a new oospecies within the Stalicoolithidae family. This discovery is the first of its kind in the Qianshan Basin, which had little evidence before. Dinosaur eggs have appeared in other parts of China, but these reveal new details about the area.
The eggs came from sediments formed by ancient rivers and lakes from the Late Cretaceous period, just before the dinosaur extinction. These fossils help confirm the age of rock layers and give clues about the region’s changes over millions of years. Only two eggs remain, but they add valuable pieces to the dinosaur story in eastern China.
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Tags:
Dinosaur Eggs
Fossil Discovery
Crystals
China
Cretaceous Period
Paleontology
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