World's smallest non-avian dinosaur egg found in east China sets Guinness record

NANCHANG, April 17 (Xinhua) -- A tiny fossil dinosaur egg unearthed in east China's Jiangxi Province has been officially certified by Guinness World Records as the smallest non-avian dinosaur egg ever found, the Jiangxi provincial institute of geological survey and exploration announced on Friday.

The record-setting fossil, with a maximum length of 29.93 mm, is part of a nest of six eggs found in Meilin Township in the city of Ganzhou in 2021.

The fossilized nest dates back to the Late Cretaceous period, over 80 million years ago. Following years of study, researchers from the Jiangxi geological survey and exploration institute, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) in central China, and other institutions identified the fossils as a new genus and species, named Minioolithus ganzhouensis.

Using advanced technology, including scanning electron microscopy, the research team analyzed the microstructure of these eggshells, with results suggesting the eggs belonged to a non-avian theropod.

The 29.93 mm measurement breaks the previous world record for the smallest non-avian dinosaur egg, which was around 45 mm in length, held by a Japanese fossil found in 2020. The research findings were published in the journal Historical Biology in October 2024.

Experts noted the discovery enriches the known diversity of dinosaur eggs from the Late Cretaceous and offers valuable insights into the evolution of theropods during that period. The Ganzhou Basin remains one of the world's richest sites for dinosaur egg fossils. ■