FIRST INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM O N DINOSAUR EGGS AND BABIES / EXTENDED ABSTRACTS/2000

an outer surface with linearituberculate ornamentation (heteromorphous hillocks and short ridges oriented along the same direction, figure 3B).

There are two distinct layers with no abrupt change between them (fig. 3E,3F,4A). The ratio con- tinuous/mammillary layer is 211. The thickness of mammillary layer ranges from 0,16 to 0,30 mm. Under polarizing light the continuous layer shows a columnar extinction pattern between nodes and wedge-like extinction pattem under nodes (fig. 4D). Pore system is angusticanaliculate, the pore canals are straight and the diameter seems to be wider on the outer and inner surface of the shell (fig. 4F). On the outer surface cir- cular pore are present in the valleys. The growth lines in the columnar layer are vis- ible in the upper part of the shell. They appear horizontal in lower part of the con- tinuous layer, they tend to follow the con- tour and they are curved inward near the pore canals (fig. 4F). The mammillae are closely spaced and have diameters ranging from 0,13 to 0,27 mm. The eisospherites are intact in some specimens and absent in others (fig. 3C,3D).

COMPARISON AND DISCUSSION

In base of the homogeneity of this sample, the dinosaurian eggshells from Cuesta Corrales 2 are included into one type, which have been assigned to the parataxonomic family Elongatoolithidae Zhao, 1975, within the ornitoid basic type. This type is characterised by angusti- canaliculate pore system and by a continu- ous/mammillary layer ratio, which varies from 211 to 711, as well as by linearituber- culate ornamentation on equatorial regions and dispersituberculate one on the poles. The Cuesta Corrales 2 eggshell frag- ments have the same pore system and ornamentation whereas the ratio is in the lower values of the family range.

The family Elongatoolithidae includes six oogenera: Elongatoolithus Zhao, 1975; Macroo¡it/iu Zhao, 1975; Nanhsiungoolithus Zhao 1975, Trachoolithus Mikhailov, 1994a, Et'ipsoolithus Mohabey, 1998 and HeishanooŸthu Zhao and Zhao, 1999. (Table 1). Trachoolithus is comparatively thinner (0,3-0,5 mm and up to 0,9 mm with ornamentation) and the CCICM ratio is higher. At Eíkpsoolithu the CC/CM ratio is 411. Comparison of Nanshiungoolithus with the Cuesta Corrales 2 form is not possible because its diagnosis is not available. Mmoolithus t u r o h i s oosp. nov. differs from Heishunoolithus in having smaller thickness and CC/CM ratio. The material from Cuesta Corrales 2 shares some characteristics with Macroolithus and Elongatoolithus as their microstructure and similar CC/CM and ornamentationlthickness ratios. Our specimens are considered to belong to Mmoolithus because the ornamentation is rougher than in Elongatoolithus, pore canals are not narrow like they are in Ehgatoolithus and the boundary between the continuous layer and mammilary layer is clear sim- ilar to Macroolithus oogenus.

The eggshells from Cuesta Corrales 2 seem to be close to that of Macroolithus and they are assigned to a new oospecies, Macroolithus turolensis oosp. nov. The eggshell thickness separates Macroolithus turoknsis

-

FIRST INTERN ATION AL S Y MPOSI UM O N DINOSALIR EGGS A N D BABIES / EXTENDED A BSTRACTS/2000

1 1

F1RST INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM O N DINOSAUR EGGS AND RABIES / EXTENDED ABSTRA(-^-rS/2000

Figure 4 Ratliiil view, ot Macroolithns furolensis ott-p nov. TLM and PLM Cuesta Corrales 2, Calve (Teruel, S ain) Outcr \ur(~ce ofcgg'ihell 15 up (A) CCR3-25, holotype, note n n r n m e n a n n r e x i m t e n r rlurd nf enrirc shell th ickncs Seale bar-O min (B) Same speciinen un~ le r polarizing I ight %ale bar=[ Inm C ) CCR4-4 Note rwo structural layer, <\re vi i ible a continiious Iayer m d a mammillar layer S c ~ l e bar=0,5 mm (O) Sfime 'ipecimen under polarizin light, note coluin-

nar c ~ t ~ n c t i o n berwcen nolics /ind weif c,likc extinctton under node>. Sctile brir=l i nm (R) CCR2-10, nore ~ingust~c; in~l ic~i lare nnrp.systcin Sc'11e h,ir=6,5 rnm (F) CCR2- 59, note ticcrenon lineb curve*.! inwarfi i t pore c ' i n ~ l ~ a l l Seale biir=0,2 min

FIRST INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM O N DINOSAUR EGGS A N D BABIES / EXTENDED ABSTRACTS/2000

oosp. nov. from other known Mmoolithus oospecies (see table 2): Macroolithus turoknsis oosp. nov. is thin- ner than al1 of them.

The Elongatoolithid eggshell type is attributed to theropods (Zhao, 1975, Mik Norell et al. 1994). In the "Colladico Blanco level" theropod isolated bones and teeth have Omeñac et al. (1998) identified with teeth two types of Theropoda indet., four types indet. and a "Paronychodontid". But at this moment it is impossible to relate M m o o nov. with any of these theropods.

CONCLUSION

Although Elongatoolithid egg-shells are relatively common in Upper Cretaceous (Mikhailov, 1 only two oospecies of this oofamily, Trachoolithus faticanus Mikhailov, 1994a and Heisharwolithus c Zhao and Zhao, 1999 have previously been reported in Lower Cretaceous.

The presence of Mmoolithus eggshell fragments in Cuesta Corrales 2 site is probably one of t worldwide record of the family Elongatoolithidae and represents the oldest record of this family in Euro In base of their features, like eggshell thickness, ornamentation and age, the Cuesta Corrales 2 dinos eggshell assemblage justifies the establishment of a new ooespecies, Mmoolithus t u r o h i s oosp. nov., pro ably attributable to theropods.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank Césa Laplana*and J. Ignacio Ruiz-Omeñac for help wit of this work. The local amateur Josà Marí Herrero found the first eggshell fragme

Table 1

Table 1: Eggshells characteristics of oogenera of the ornitoid ratite morphotype.

FIRST INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSlUM O N DINOSAUR EGGS AND BABIES / EXTENDED ABSTRACTS/2000

Table 2

crwoüihu rugusfus (Young, 1965)

Â¥ Table 2: Comparison between Mocroo!it/ius bospecies.

FIRST INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM O N DINOSAUR EGGS AND BABIES / EXTENDED ABSTRACTS/2000

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