Over the millions of years they existed, dinosaurs became extinct not because of their size, strength, or ferocity, but because the way their eggs were formed was detrimental to the species. Today, birds have evolved to be master incubators, but new research published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution It was revealed that the way the laying hens hatched the eggs was “inefficient”. Using advanced 3D models of nests and actual nest building materials, researchers show that dinosaurs were unable to efficiently transfer body heat to eggs; instead, they relied primarily on geothermal heat to maintain temperatures warm enough for eggs to develop and hatch. Therefore, the incubation period of dinosaurs was very long, about six months. Given the rapidly changing nature of the Earth, the inefficient way dinosaurs hatched their eggs created a huge obstacle to the continuation of dinosaurs as a species.
Inside the experiment that tested how dinosaurs hatched eggs
Dr. Yang Zirui Scientists at the Taiwan Museum of Natural Science built a life-size model of a dinosaur parent to study how dinosaurs hatched their eggs. They built a 20-kilogram oviraptor and placed it in a nest containing 30 artificial eggs. They used thermal monitors and computer simulation models to measure how much body heat was present in the eggs and how much was actually transferred to the babies.
Bird’s Nest Design Issues
according to Frontiers in Ecology and EvolutionThe way dinosaurs built their nests wasn’t efficient at keeping their eggs warm. Today, birds sit directly on the eggs to incubate them. The dinosaur would sit in the center of a circular nest and keep itself in the center of the nest. As a result, the only eggs that stay warmest are those located under the parent’s breast. In contrast, eggs located on the outer edge of the nest will be the coldest and grow much slower than other eggs.
Dinosaurs relied on the sun for help
Since the parents couldn’t keep all the eggs properly warm, the dinosaurs relied on the sun and the warm earth to carry out the heating process. The eggs are what researchers call a “co-incubator with nature.” This process works well when temperatures are higher. However, climate change poses many problems for these eggs. When clouds prevent sunlight from reaching them, eggs don’t have a constant source of heat from above to hatch properly.
The three to six month waiting trap
According to the study, the time it took for the eggs to hatch successfully may also have contributed to the extinction. While current birds take weeks to hatch, these dinosaurs took three to six months from hatching. After Earth experienced a massive asteroid impact that caused catastrophic changes to the environment, the dinosaurs could no longer reproduce fast enough to survive. Small animals such as birds and mammals were able to hatch quickly and grow quickly, allowing them to thrive and dominate while dinosaur numbers continued to decline.
