Studies of dinosaur eggs flourish in southern China

The museum has established a relatively complete database of the dinosaur eggs so far discovered in Heyuan, according to Du.

"The size, weight, location and soil horizon of each egg are clearly recorded. They are more like a string of encrypted symbols, waiting for decoding in the future," he said.

Dinosaur egg fossils turn out to be a rich source of information about the diversity and paleogeographic distribution of dinosaurs in Guangdong during the late Cretaceous Period. They also help provide favorable conditions for the study of ancient topography and geomorphology in the province, Du said.

"Different from other paleontological fossils, dinosaur eggs are the main carriers of reproduction information, playing an important role in breeding new life," he said.

Local authorities in Heyuan initiated a plan to establish a joint research institute to promote geological studies on dinosaurs and the area, Du said.

"The research institute, which will give full play to the dinosaur eggs found in Heyuan as favorable resources, is also aimed at tapping the potentials of development and utilization of dinosaur culture," he said.

The institute, featuring studies on dinosaur eggs, will be jointly set up by the Heyuan Dinosaur Museum, the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jilin University and Sun Yat-sen University, which is based in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong.

Scientific research and systematic analysis of ancient geography, especially of the environment of areas where dinosaur eggs were found, will offer a glimpse into the natural world, said Du.

The institute, the first of its kind in South China, will help train more professional talents in scientific research and also serve as a platform for technical cooperation in studying fossilized dinosaur eggs in the region, according to Du.

"We will make more efforts to uncover the mysteries about various dinosaurs and their evolutionary process," he said.

However, it is difficult to estimate the total number of fossilized dinosaur remains, which may be buried in the 100 square kilometers of red sandstones on both sides of the Dongjiang River, Du said.

Sporadic dinosaur egg fossils have also been unearthed in Dongyuan, Heping and other places of Heyuan. There are also 168 dinosaur footprints in eight groups found in the city's urban areas.