Preparation of Europe's largest nest of dinosaur eggs

Abstract

In the present work we describe the whole process of extraction and preparation of a large nest of dinosaur eggs. The dinosaur nest found in the locality of Pinyes is the largest one discovered in Europe and the excavation and preparation processes used were very long and complex. The discovery of this nest took place in the year 2005. A new campaign of excava- tions, in 2007, placed particular emphasis on the importance of this nest and it was not until the year 2009 that it could be extracted without damaging the integrity of the fossil. Its preparation, during 2009-2010, has allowed the researchers of the Mesozoic Group (of the ICP) to study it in depth. The investigation has emphasized the rele- vancy of the finding worldwide, since it reveals new information on the reproduc- tive behavior of sauropods. The use of excavation techniques based on the acquisi- tion of three-dimensional data helped during the preparation process, and it has allowed very precise results to be obtained regarding the interpretation of their nests and the way these dinosaurs laid theireggs. These results indicate that the nest con- tained 28 eggs, many more than other nests found in Europe and India. The eggs are positioned in three superimposed levels, and the nest shows an asymmetric, concave and elongated morphology when it is observed in lateral view. The nest is currently exhibited in the Dinosfera Museum, Coll de Narg�, Alt Urgell (Spain).