The Dinosaur Orphan, Baby Louie, Finally Finds Its Species

In the early 1990s, the discovery of Baby Louie puzzled the entire scientific world. The fossilized dinosaur was found in central China, partially encased in its egg. Until now, researchers were unable to state for sure to what species it belonged, but they have finally reached an interesting conclusion.

Baby Louie was captive in a huge egg

Baby Louie was caught in one of the biggest dinosaur eggs ever found, measuring 6 inches in width and 18 inches in length. However, the egg was stolen from the site, which prevented researchers from analyzing the fossil and identifying its species. After more than 25 years, Baby Louie was recovered and the analysis could be completed.

Dr. Darla Zelenitsky, along with her research team, were able to find that Baby Louie belonged to a whole new species of the group of giant oviraptorosaurs. These creatures lived more than 90 million years ago. They resembled ostriches and cassowaries, but were as tall as elephants and as heavy as rhinos. Researchers named the species Beibeilong sinensis (Chinese baby dragon).

Other dinosaur egg discoveries took place in North America

This is not the first time when scientists discover large dinosaur eggs. In North America, researchers stumbled upon 30 Macroelongatoolithus eggs. These eggs were carefully arranged in a nest in the form of a large ring. Besides the egg, they also found the skeleton of a born baby dinosaur. This marked the first time when such a discovery was made.

Researchers observed that Baby Louie resembled an oviraptor, but all dinosaurs in this group were too little to lay such big eggs. Now, they were able to unveil the mystery and place the new species among the giant oviraptorosaur group. Researchers gathered all the findings in the journal Nature Communications.

Image source: Wikipedia