Prehistoric Nursery

A brilliant and I guess ever so cute discovery was made in the Golden Gate National Park in the Free State. Tiny baby Massospondylus (when an adult, a 6 metre long dinosaur) footprints have been discovered in slabs of sedimentary rock on a cliff. The footprints are dated at some 190 million years before today. As a matter of interest in their era, Massospondylus were considered to be the sheep of their time due to their abundant numbers.

Dr Adam Yates ( Bernard Price Institute for Palae-ontological Research at Wits University) revealed that the footprints range in size and are though to be prints of hatchlings as well has older offspring of Massospondylus. This indicates that the young dinosaurs did not leave the nest until an age when they were ready to do and that Massospondylus was a caring parent. From fossils evidence, it seems the babies were toothless and the parents had to feed them. (Probably regurgitated food).

This is thought to be the oldest know dino nesting site, 100 million years older than any other known nesting site.


Amazingly ten nests were found, each housing around 34 eggs. The eggs were packed in tight clusters. It is thought that not only did the dino parent return to the site of long periods, but they could well have assembled in groups to lay these eggs, which were believed to be fragile and therefor carefully constructed nests were formed by the old parent. The scientific team thinks that there could be further finds in the area like this one.