Two new 'nesting sites' of dinosaurs found in Madhya Pradesh

Indore: A group of researchers has claimed to have found two new 'nesting sites' of dinosaurs in Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh.

According to researchers, the rare fossilised dinosaur eggs lying at these places are about 6.5 crore years old.

"We have found two new nesting sites of dinosaurs in Dhar district, about 125 kms away from Indore. The nests formed by the dinosaurs at these places got buried under rocks during the geographical turbulence that happened about 6.5 crore years ago," 'Mangal Panchayatan Parishad' head and geologist Vishal Verma told PTI today.

The nesting sites in Baag area of Dhar district are at a distance of about 8 kms from each other. At each of these places, there could be at least 15 fossils of dinosaur eggs. The research is on at both the places to ascertain the exact number of such fossils, he said.

"A detailed study at these places could also provide information about the method of laying of eggs by dinosaurs. This could also throw light on whether the dinosaurs used the same place again and again to lay eggs," he said.

Verma said his team during the last one decade of research in the area had earlier also found two nesting sites of dinosaurs. With the new discovery, the number of such rare sites of dinosaur fossils in the district has now gone up to four, he said.

The Mangal Panchayatan Parishad had drawn the attention of the whole world in 2007, when it discovered about 25 nests of dinosaurs belonging to the Jurassic period. A large number of fossilised dinosaur eggs were found in these nests.

The state government is already working to develop the 108 hectares area in Dhar district where crores of years ago the dinosaurs made nests, as 'National Dinosaur Fossil Park'.

Verma said the fossilised eggs of dinosaurs found so far in Dhar district belong to the 'Sauropod family' of this extinct animal.

"According to our study, the dinosaurs used to come from far off places to lay eggs in sandy areas here. These dinosaurs were around 20 to 30 feet tall," he added.