Dinosaurs may have been doting parents
Rachel Nowak

A fossil of one adult Psittacosaurus dinosaur surrounded by 34 juveniles has
provided the most compelling evidence to date that dinosaurs raised their
young after hatching.

Previously discovered fossils of teeth found at the same site in China from
Allosaurus dinosaurs of differing ages, and fossils of groups of young
Maiasaura have hinted that dinosaurs may have indulged in parental care.

But what makes this 125-million-year old fossil find from Liaoning province
more convincing is that the skeletons are complete, and crowded together in
life-like positions with their legs tucked under and heads raised,
indicating that they were buried alive rather than swept together after
death.

Psittacosaurus are herbivorous dinosaurs, about one metre long, with
parrot-like beaks and cheek horns. The newly unearthed juveniles are about a
quarter of the length of the adult, and far bigger than hatchlings. This
suggests that the adult had tended them for some time, says David Varricchio
of Montana State University in Bozeman, US, who examined the ancient remains
with Jinyuan Liu of the Dalian Natural History Museum, China, and
colleagues.

Full Text at NewScientist
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996377

Posted by
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