Auca Mahuevo

 ( Dinosaur Trace Fossils ) 

Auca Mahuevo is a Cretaceous lagerstätte in the eroded of the province of Neuquén, Argentina. The sedimentary layers of the Anacleto Formation at Auca Mahuevo were deposited between 83.5 and 79.5 million years before present and offer a view of a fossilized sauropod hatchery.Chiappe & Coria, 2004, p. 591

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Description At Auca Mahuevo dinosaur eggs containing identifiable embryonic remains have been the most spectacular discoveries. The eggs retain casts of the membrana testacea, the internal membrane that adheres to the shell, familiar to anyone who has peeled a hard-boiled egg. The context revealed a vast rookery of excavated nest structures that can be compared to living egg-layers such as turtles, crocodilians and birds. Even their spacing within the nesting locality (two to three meters apart) can be assessed. Reconstruction of nesting strategies suggest that shallow pits with rims were excavated and plant material incorporated in the surface.

The Auca Mahuevo lagerstätte was discovered during two expeditions, in 1997 and 1999, by Luis Chiappe, Lowell Dingus, and Rodolfo Coria, who were looking for fossilized birds. Coria, R.A. and Chiappe, L.M. - 2007 - Embryonic Skin From Late Cretaceous Sauropods (Dinosauria) of Auca Mahuevo, Patagonia, Argentina Journal of Paleontology v81(6):1528-1532 The site is now officially protected.

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See also

• List of fossil sites (with link directory)
• Neuquén Group

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Bibliography

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External links

• BBC h2g2 site: Auca Maheuevo

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