Scientists unveil the true colour of dinosaur eggs
The oviraptor eggs retained a pale colour, unlike other fossils which are often stained through mineral seepage. (Tzu-Ruei Yang/University Bonn)
The true colour of dinosaur eggs have long been a mystery to scientists, until now, with a study revealing that the eggs may in fact have been blueish-green in hue.
The study, conducted by Bonn University, Germany, involved the analysis of the eggs of oviraptors—dinosaurs closely related to birds.
Scientists previously have been unable to determine dinosaur egg colouration due to mineral staining, a process which occurs during fossilisation.
In order to overcome this challenge, eggs were selected from three sites across China, sites known for their particularly well-preserved fossils.
The eggs were found to have quantities of the pigments biliverdin and protoporphyrin, which are also found in the eggs of modern birds.
Following a series of tests, Professor Martin Sander and his student Jasmina Wiemann were able to determine the original colour of the eggs.
Their finding offers confirmation that colouration in bird eggs extends right back to the species’ origin among dinosaurs.
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