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Nineteen of the fossilised dinosaur eggs were found intact. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Dinosaur egg fossils found during road works in southern China

Remains found in Heyuan in Guangdong province, dubbed the ‘Home of Dinosaurs’

Forty-three fossilised dinosaur eggs have been found in southern China while a road was being upgraded, state media reported.

The fossils were discovered earlier this month during road works in Heyuan in Guangdong province, the website Chinanews.com reported.

The fossilised eggs were large with one 13cm in diameter, Du Yanli, the director of the city’s Dinosaur Museum, was quoted as saying. Nineteen were completely intact.

Experts at the Chinese Academy of Sciences will examine the eggs to find out what species of dinosaur they belonged to, the report said.

Heyuan has dubbed itself the “Home of Dinosaurs”.

The city authorities say 17,000 fragments of fossilised dinosaur eggs have been found in the area since the first discovery was made on a river bank in 1996.

The latest discovery is the first of its kind to be made in central areas of the city, the report said.

Du was quoted as saying that it was possible that many other dinosaur remains would be found in sandstone beds around the city and that construction projects should be halted if fossils were unearthed.

A farmer in Heyuan was detained by the police in 2004 after 557 fossilised dinosaur eggs were found at his home which he had not reported to the authorities.

 

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