Today ’s bird nests are awash with an array of lively colour . pack rat often layreddenedeggs , nightingales can produceoliveones , and thegreat tinamou’srangefromdeep purple to sky blue angel . Yet , for over a century , scientists had no idea if their prehistoric ancestors echoed this diversity . The first dinosaur egg to berecognizedas such were break in 1923 by an American team exploring Mongolia . Since then , it ’s been widely assumed that their shells were either bone white or beige . But a recent study argues that at least some dinosaurs hatched from striking , blueish - green eggs .
AsNew Scientistrecentlyreported , Jasima Weimann — a graduate pupil working under German palaeontologist Martin Sander — has detected two revealing pigments inside the fossilize eggshells of a 66 - million - twelvemonth - sure-enough dinosaur known asHeyuannia huangi , a low , beaked oviraptorid . Known as protoporphyrin and biliverdin , these pigmentsmakerobin eggs blue and crybaby eggs carmine - brown .
“ This is the first time that [ dinosaur ] eggshell pigments … have been detected in any fossil , ” the researchers says . So where in the chromatic spectrum didHeyuannia ’s eggs fall ? According to the researchers , these had a blue - green hue — which would have made them wait rather likeemu eggs .
Perhaps the fauna evolved such shell to conceal its unborn progeny from predators . Theoretically , a mother could pace out for some breakfast safe in the knowledge that her clutch was well - camouflaged against a leafy background of Mesozoic underbrush .
Also , those distinctive colour would ’ve made imposters well-to-do to blemish . Some modern birds ( like theold world cuckoo ) surreptitiously lay their own eggs in the nest of other avians . Yet , because robins lay low eggs , they can pick out andejectan intruder ’s plainer ace with relaxation . MaybeHeyuanniaused this same trick against lazier dino parent that desire to dupe it into care for their own Danton True Young .
