Dutch Researchers Discover First-Ever T-Rex Eggshell Fragment
BOXTEL, netherlands – Researchers at the Oertijdmuseum in Boxtel have announced the discovery of a fragment of a T-Rex eggshell, a world-first find confirmed after years of intensive study. The fragment, approximately the size of a Pinknail, was initially unearthed three years ago by René Fraaije, director of the museum, during fieldwork in Wyoming, USA.
“I promptly knew it was a dino-egg. But I never dared to dream that it would be from the T-Rex,” said Fraaije.”It is lovely and a very unexpected outcome.It is world news within science.”
The discovery stems from a four-year research project covering a 100-square-kilometer site where scientists have been searching for dinosaur traces and remains. Alongside the eggshell fragment, the team has also uncovered fossilized dental and bone residues from 67-million-year-old fish, crocodiles, turtles, and at least fifteen dinosaur species.
Determining the eggshell’s origin required extensive microscopic analysis, comparing its internal lime and porial structure to that of the Tarbosaurus, a T-Rex ancestor from East Asia. “We have conducted an extensive microscopic comparison test… It soon turned out to be a very rare type of dinosaur-eiers scale. The scale was very similar to that of the Tarbosaurus,” explained Fraaije.
The 67-million-year-old eggshell dates back to the period immediately preceding the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event, caused by a meteorite impact.The T-Rex was the largest carnivorous dinosaur to ever live.
A reconstruction of a complete T-Rex egg is now on display at the Oertijdmuseum in Boxtel, allowing visitors to view the find firsthand. This discovery marks the museum’s second significant paleontological find in recent years; two years ago, researchers likely identified a dinosaur embryo within a petrified egg, a rare find wiht onyl a few dozen known worldwide, wich was investigated at the Jeroen bosch Hospital.