Biogenic origin of secondary eggshell units in dinosaur eggshells elucidates lost biomineralization process in maniraptoran dinosaurs
Zhang, Shukang (Chinese Academy of Sciences. Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology)
Choi, Seung (Chinese Academy of Sciences. Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology)
Kim, Noe-Heon (Seoul National University. School of Earth and Environmental Sciences)
Xie, Junfang (Zhejiang Museum of Natural History)
Park, Yong (Seoul National University. Research Institute of Basic Sciences)
Plümper, Oliver (Utrecht University. Department of Earth Sciences)
Sellés, Albert G. (Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont)

Date:	2025
Abstract:	Secondary eggshell units, though rarely observed in modern avian eggshells, are marked structures in non-avian dinosaur eggshells that offer valuable paleobiological insights. Despite their significance, the origins of secondary eggshell units remain understudied, leading to debates in paleontology, including the hypothesis of an abiogenic origin for these structures. Here, we demonstrate that secondary eggshell units in non-avian dinosaur eggshells are biogenic in nature, based on analyses using advanced microscopic techniques. The structural characteristics of these units suggest a formation mechanism similar to that of turtle and crocodile eggshells, with matrix fibers likely initiating their development. Furthermore, a diminishing presence of secondary eggshell units in non-avian maniraptoran dinosaurs points to the evolution of a more refined physiological process for eggshell formation in this lineage. These findings shed light on the evolutionary trajectory of eggshell biomineralization in dinosaurs and their close relatives.
Grants:	European Commission 101005611
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Published in:	Science advances, Vol. 11, Issue 22 (May 2025) , art. eadt1879, ISSN 2375-2548

DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adt1879
PMID: 40446053

14 p, 3.4 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP)
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