Oldest egg fossil discovered inside 110-million-year-old birdMarch 21, 2019 - 18:24 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Scientists have discovered the first fossil bird ever found with an egg preserved inside its body, USA Today reports citing a new study. The 110-million-year-old bird is a new species called Avimaia schweitzerae, which was discovered in northwestern China. The bird lived at the same time as the dinosaurs. The discovery was a surprise to paleontologists: “We were not expecting anything interesting, but it turned out to be the first fossil bird ever found with an egg inside its body,” study lead author Alida Bailleul of China's Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology told National Geographic. The finding is especially amazing because fully formed eggs typically only stay within an adult mama bird for about a day, according to Science magazine. But problems with the egg itself may have caused the bird's death due to "egg-binding." This happens when the egg becomes stuck inside the body, preventing the egg from being laid, and killing the mother bird, the study said. Egg-binding is a serious and lethal condition that is fairly common in small birds undergoing stress. This condition still occurs in chickens and modern pet birds. Yet despite being malformed, the egg is excellently preserved, including parts of the eggshell that are seldom seen in the fossil record, such as traces of the egg membrane and the cuticle, Overall, the scientists said this fossil provides more information about ancient reproduction than any other Mesozoic fossil bird yet discovered. As for the species name, it means “mother bird” (Avimaia) and also honors paleontologist Mary Schweitzer (Schweitzerae). The study was published in the peer-reviewed British journal Nature Communications. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Pashinyan: We must stop searching for homeland, we have found that homeland Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has shared a message on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Erdogan wants “realistic road map” for relations with Armenia Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for a “new realistic road map” for relations with Armenia. Armenia-Azerbaijan: Experts launch work on determining coordinates Expert groups from the countries started the process of determining the coordinates based on geodetic measurements. Yerevan says did not expect CSTO in peacekeeping role Pashinyan has declared that the CSTO would be expected to come to the Armenia-Azerbaijan border as an ally of Armenia |