#NewsBytesExplainer: How dinosaur eggs reveal secrets of ancient ecosystems
Three nearly round dinosaur eggs—about the size of cannonballs—were reportedly recovered in Anhui Province, China in a discovery published in February 2026; only two specimens were collected and formally described.
These fossils are around 70 million years old and were discovered in a rock layer from the Late Cretaceous period.
New oospecies
The eggs turned out to be a new oospecies, named Shixingoolithus qianshanensis by paleontologist Qing He and team.
Their unique shell structure and growth lines helped scientists tell them apart from other dino eggs.
Why are they important?
Besides being the first dinosaur eggs found in this area, these fossils help researchers learn more about how dinosaurs nested just before they went extinct—and even give clues about ancient environments through the crystals inside their shells.