An artist’s impression of a mosasaur laying a soft-shelled egg, with a hatchling born soon after – there is a problem with
Francisco Hueichaleo, 2020
A strange fossil discovered in Antarctica almost a decade ago has finally been identified. Researchers at the University of Austin at Texas have determined that the object is a giant, soft-shell egg, most likely laid by an ancient marine reptile.
But now, the UT Austin team has finally given the thing a look over, and found that it’s most likely the remains of a soft-shelled egg, after the hatchling had broken free. The layers of membranes seen under the microscope were a dead giveaway.
But it’s not just any egg – this is the second-largest egg of any known animal, alive or dead, and the largest soft-shelled one ever seen. It dates back to about 66 million years ago – just before the dinosaurs became extinct.
