The world’s only known in-egg Pterodactyl embryo has been found by a private collector. Dr. Neal Naranjo of Lufkin, Texas, has been collecting fossils for years. Inspired by a Florida study of velociraptor eggs, he decided to see what was inside the eggs in his own collection:
“Tried an x-ray but the material is just too dense for a normal x-ray… Tried an MRI because they don’t have water in them you can’t do an MRI,” said Naranjo. (via)
A CT scan eventually revealed “the preserved embryo of a Pterodactyl, the only known in-egg Pterodactyl embryo in the world… Five of the six eggs examined with the CT scan contained embryos.” (via)
Read more at here, here, here and here. (Sadly none of the links I was able to find have good images of the scans. Currently this is only being covered by hobbyists and local news, so perhaps if it gets picked up by larger science media there will be images available.)
*Remember: PTEROSAURS ARE NOT DINOSAURS! (<3 you, Venomlash!)
Wow! Can you imagine the scene as they got to the slices where they saw the embryo!?! What a thrill.
So, can’t they like, rehydrate it, or microwave it and – voila – baby pterodactyl?
Just add bacon and you’ve got breakfast.
Not to piss on the picnic, but I hope that this “amateur paleontologist” did careful excavation and removal of his eggs and noted their exact location. I doubt it. Often the most useful information about fossils comes from the surrounding matrix material. I also hope his new “museum” features carefully prepared exhibits based on science and not a lot of fundy pablum, but this being Texas, those hopes aren’t high.
let’s hatch ’em
“Not dinosaurs???” Were they big? Were they lizards? Did they hate mammals? Did they fly around and terrorize people? Were they killed by asteroids? I think you’ll find that the answer to all of those questions is a resounding “Yes!” which means that they meet all five of the criteria necessary for me to consider them dinosaurs. Also qualifying: brontosaurus (the big version with the super long neck (and relatives)), the komodo dragon, bats, anything with the phrase “saber-toothed” in it, and Sarah Palin.
Well said, Mike.
@6: *nerdrage*