Earliest herd living dinosaurs

Fossilised remains of 193 million-year-old sauropods indicate that Mussaurus patagonicus lived in herds, providing the earliest evidence of complex social behaviour among dinosaurs
      

Mussaurus patagonicus

Skull of adult specimen

Remains of 69 individuals found in age-specific clusters of juveniles and adults – indicating gregarious behaviour

Skull of young individual

Fossilised egg

100 eggs in clutches of 8-30 found in 2-3 layers within trenches, suggesting nests in common breeding ground

Fossilised embryos inside eggs revealed using X-ray imaging


Earth during Jurassic period

Africa 
India
Antarctica
South America
ARGENTINA
Laguna Colorada Formation, Patagonia
                      

MESOZOIC ERA		Dinosaurs wiped out	CENOZOIC ERA
Age of dinosaurs 

TRIASSIC	JURASSIC	CRETACEOUS  	Early humans
250 million   200       150	    100	        50
years ago   
   
        
Discovery pre-dates previous records of complex social behaviour by over 40 million years

       
Source: Nature
Pictures: Nature, Jorge Gonzalez, CONICET 
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