Massospondylus embryos

Massospondylus carinatus Owen, 1854 isn't one of those flashy dinosaurs that has a lot of popular appeal to the crowds, but as you can see from the name, it has been known for a long time (first described by Richard Owen in 1854), and many specimens of various ages have been found—if you aren't familiar with what this beastie looks like, here are some photos of a fossilized adult and a reconstruction. It's basically your standard early prosauropod, but from the numbers of specimens found, it must have been a particularly successful species.

Now we know even more about it's life history, though, because several beautiful specimens of unhatched embryos have been discovered in Lower Jurassic strata from South Africa.

Continue reading Massospondylus embryos (on Pharyngula)