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研究人员在中国首次发现三维保存的翼龙蛋。这些蛋在数以十计，甚至数以百计的翼龙化石中被找到，它们代表了新的属和物种（天山哈密翼龙）。此项发现，刊登在细胞出版社6月5日版的《当代生物学》杂志上，揭示了有着25厘米到12米翼展的可飞行的爬行动物翼龙是过着群居生活的。
中国科学院古脊椎动物与古人类研究所的王晓林表示发现很多雌性和雄性翼龙和它们的蛋保存在一起是最令人激动的。“有5颗三维保存的蛋，其中的一些保存的非常完整，”他说。
研究人员称翼龙的化石记录此前很少，对于它们的数量也知之甚少。除去此次发现，已知的仅有四个孤立且扁平的翼龙蛋。
现在所描述的翼龙栖息地于2005年被首次发现，位于中国西北部新疆天山南部的吐哈盆地。这片富含化石的地区可能有成千上万块骨头，包括三维保存的雄性和雌性翼龙骨骼和首颗三维保存的翼龙蛋。王晓林称此处的沉积物显示，翼龙死于一亿两千万年前白垩纪早期的一场大风暴。
研究人员检查了基本上完好无损的翼龙蛋标本，发现它们很柔韧，外边包裹着薄的钙质蛋壳，里边是柔软的厚膜，类似于现代的蛇蛋。研究人员对40个雄性和雌性翼龙的观察表明它们在大小，形状和头部的坚韧度上有所区别。
研究人员表示，大量翼龙和蛋的共同出现强有力地表明它们的筑巢地点就在附近，并且翼龙已有了群居生活的习惯。天山哈密翼龙很有可能将蛋埋在河岸边的沙地以防止干燥。新的化石揭示了翼龙的生殖策略、成长情况和行为习惯，关于它们的研究还可以从中学到很多。
Researchers have discovered the first three-dimensionally preserved pterosaur eggs in China. The eggs were found among dozens， if not hundreds， of pterosaur fossils， representing a new genus and species （Hamipterus tianshanensis）. The discovery， described in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on June 5， reveals that the pterosaurs -- flying reptiles with wingspans ranging from 25 cm to 12 m -- lived together in gregarious colonies.
Xiaolin Wang of the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology says it was most exciting to find many male and female pterosaurs and their eggs preserved together. "Five eggs are three-dimensionally preserved， and some are really complete，" he says.
The fossil record of the pterosaurs has generally been poor， with little information about their populations， the researchers say. Prior to this latest find， only four isolated and flattened pterosaur eggs were known to science.
The resting place of the pterosaurs now described was first uncovered in 2005 in the Turpan-Hami Basin， south of the Tian Shan Mountains in Xinjiang， northwestern China. The fossil-rich area may harbor thousands of bones， including three-dimensional male and female skulls and the first three-dimensional eggs. Wang says that sediments in the area suggest that the pterosaurs died in a large storm about 120 million years ago in the Early Cretaceous period.
The researchers examined the largely intact pterosaur egg specimens to find that they were pliable， with a thin， calcareous eggshell outside and a soft， thick membrane inside， similar to the eggs of some modern-day snakes. The researchers' observations of 40 male and female individuals suggest differences between the sexes in the size， shape， and robustness of their head crests.
The combination of many pterosaurs and eggs strongly indicates the presence of a nesting site nearby and indicates that this species developed gregarious behavior， the researchers say. Hamipterus most likely buried their eggs in sand along the shore of an ancient lake to prevent them from drying out. While the new fossils shed light on the reproductive strategy， development， and behavior of pterosaurs， there is still plenty left to learn about them.
中国科学院古脊椎动物与古人类研究所的王晓林表示发现很多雌性和雄性翼龙和它们的蛋保存在一起是最令人激动的。“有5颗三维保存的蛋，其中的一些保存的非常完整，”他说。
研究人员称翼龙的化石记录此前很少，对于它们的数量也知之甚少。除去此次发现，已知的仅有四个孤立且扁平的翼龙蛋。
现在所描述的翼龙栖息地于2005年被首次发现，位于中国西北部新疆天山南部的吐哈盆地。这片富含化石的地区可能有成千上万块骨头，包括三维保存的雄性和雌性翼龙骨骼和首颗三维保存的翼龙蛋。王晓林称此处的沉积物显示，翼龙死于一亿两千万年前白垩纪早期的一场大风暴。
研究人员检查了基本上完好无损的翼龙蛋标本，发现它们很柔韧，外边包裹着薄的钙质蛋壳，里边是柔软的厚膜，类似于现代的蛇蛋。研究人员对40个雄性和雌性翼龙的观察表明它们在大小，形状和头部的坚韧度上有所区别。
研究人员表示，大量翼龙和蛋的共同出现强有力地表明它们的筑巢地点就在附近，并且翼龙已有了群居生活的习惯。天山哈密翼龙很有可能将蛋埋在河岸边的沙地以防止干燥。新的化石揭示了翼龙的生殖策略、成长情况和行为习惯，关于它们的研究还可以从中学到很多。
Researchers have discovered the first three-dimensionally preserved pterosaur eggs in China. The eggs were found among dozens， if not hundreds， of pterosaur fossils， representing a new genus and species （Hamipterus tianshanensis）. The discovery， described in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on June 5， reveals that the pterosaurs -- flying reptiles with wingspans ranging from 25 cm to 12 m -- lived together in gregarious colonies.
Xiaolin Wang of the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology says it was most exciting to find many male and female pterosaurs and their eggs preserved together. "Five eggs are three-dimensionally preserved， and some are really complete，" he says.
The fossil record of the pterosaurs has generally been poor， with little information about their populations， the researchers say. Prior to this latest find， only four isolated and flattened pterosaur eggs were known to science.
The resting place of the pterosaurs now described was first uncovered in 2005 in the Turpan-Hami Basin， south of the Tian Shan Mountains in Xinjiang， northwestern China. The fossil-rich area may harbor thousands of bones， including three-dimensional male and female skulls and the first three-dimensional eggs. Wang says that sediments in the area suggest that the pterosaurs died in a large storm about 120 million years ago in the Early Cretaceous period.
The researchers examined the largely intact pterosaur egg specimens to find that they were pliable， with a thin， calcareous eggshell outside and a soft， thick membrane inside， similar to the eggs of some modern-day snakes. The researchers' observations of 40 male and female individuals suggest differences between the sexes in the size， shape， and robustness of their head crests.
The combination of many pterosaurs and eggs strongly indicates the presence of a nesting site nearby and indicates that this species developed gregarious behavior， the researchers say. Hamipterus most likely buried their eggs in sand along the shore of an ancient lake to prevent them from drying out. While the new fossils shed light on the reproductive strategy， development， and behavior of pterosaurs， there is still plenty left to learn about them.