Elongatoolithus chimeiensis

† Elongatoolithus chimeiensis is an oospecies of Late Cretaceous oviraptorosaurian eggs from Chimei, China. These elongated eggs, laid in circular clutches of 20–30 eggs, were incubated in partially open nests, allowing the brooding parent to sit centrally above them. Eggshell microstructure analysis reveals a characteristic prismatic layer with branching pore canals. The chimeiensis oospecies is distinguished from congeners by specific dimensional ratios and eggshell thickness measurements.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivore

Elongatoolithus chimeiensis was a meat-eating predator. Carnivorous dinosaurs were active hunters or scavengers, equipped with sharp teeth and claws for catching and consuming prey. They occupied the top of the food chain in their ecosystems.

Time Period

Cretaceous Late Mesozoic Era

Elongatoolithus chimeiensis lived during the Cretaceous Late period of the Mesozoic Era, approximately 100.5 to 66.0 million years ago.

The final age of dinosaurs, featuring iconic species like Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, and Velociraptor. Dinosaurs reached their peak diversity before the catastrophic asteroid impact at the Chicxulub crater ended the Mesozoic Era.