Dinosaurs were large, amazing animals that appeared over 120 million years ago, however, they became extinct approximately 65 million years ago years due to numerous environmental disasters. For this reason, human beings have never been able to get to know them and the only information available today comes from the study of the fossils found and numerous investigations.
Since these fossils only preserve the hard parts of the animal, such as the bones, it is impossible to fully understand what the dinosaurs' way of life was like. Thus, one of the great unknowns is how dinosaurs reproduced and were born If you are interested in the reproduction of dinosaurs, do not hesitate to read this article on our site.
Dinosaur way of life
Some groups of dinosaurs, such as theropods, were carnivorous and eeded on smaller dinosaurs or other existing animal species. Other dinosaurs, such as the sauropsids, were herbivorous and fed on the flora they found on land There were also species of omnivorous dinosaurs, which fed on both species vegetables and other small animals.
They were oviparous animals, which means that lay eggs, which incubated and protected normally. However, some species chose to abandon them.
As a defense method, they used their large claws, their sharp teeth and their robust body with thick and hard layers that prevented the bite of other dinosaurs. In addition, they could present intimidating structures, such as large tails and horns.
According to some studies, they could reach approximately 30 years old, being sexually mature at 19 years old.
Some specimens lived in herds and cared for all the young together. Others, however, preferred a more solitary life.
To learn a little more about dinosaurs, we encourage you to read Types of dinosaurs that existed – Characteristics, names and photos.
Reproduction of the dinosaurs
Since theropods (group of dinosaurs) were the origin of today's birds, these two animals have some things in common, including how to play and caring for your babies.
Dinosaurs were oviparous animals and presented internal fertilization, but today it is not known exactly what copulation was like between the male and the female. This is due to the complex morphology of these animals and the lack of information in the fossil remains, since soft parts such as copulatory organs have not been observed. However, there are several theories about the reproduction of dinosaurs, including the existence of sewers These are cavities, present in animals such as reptiles and birds, through which urination is performed, the animal's waste is expelled and copulation occurs. At present, research is still being carried out on how dinosaurs could reproduce, although everything indicates that it may be due to the alignment of these cloacas and the existence of a retractable member in the male capable of introducing the sperm.
As for the place, duration, gestation periods and other factors, it is not known with certainty how they took place. Some experts believe that coitus took place in aquatic environments (swamps), since dinosaurs weighed a lot and this could cause a problem to have intercourse in Earth. Other studies also state that the incubation period of a baby dinosaur could reach 6 months, although this would depend on the species of dinosaur, and it could develop in less time.
Dinosaur Eggs
Dinosaurs could lay between 20 and 40 eggs, which were between 30 and 60 centimeters long and they deposited them in nests that they dug in the ground. Later, they were buried with the help of sand, leaves or any other element capable of protecting their young from other dinosaurs that wanted to steal or eat them. Sometimes these excavations were open, so the dinosaurs invested energy so that the shells of the eggs were colored and could be camouflaged in the environment. It has been possible to verify the existence of numerous dinosaur nests in the same place, which indicates that the adults carried out cooperative measures to control at the same time all the eggs in the herd and protect them.
Depending on the structure and composition, three types of eggs could be distinguished:
- Ornithoid Eggs: A separation could be seen in the lower part of the shell. In the rest of the egg a spongy and crystalline structure was observed. These eggs were typical of theropods.
- Spherulitic eggs: their shells had a completely spherical crystalline structure. They were typical of sauropods.
- Prismatic Eggs: The sphere-shaped crystalline structure only appeared in the lower region of the egg, meanwhile, in the upper part they grew in the form of prisms.
For more information on dinosaurs, you may be interested in Why Did Dinosaurs Extinct?
Baby Dinosaur Care
After hatching from the eggs, the dinosaurs were less than a meter long normally, since most were not fully grown and able to hatch to the world. It is for this reason that their mothers were in charge of going out to look for food and bringing it to the nests, where they kept their babies hidden. This posed a danger on numerous occasions, since, at that time, other carnivorous dinosaurs took the opportunity to feed on these helpless young if there was no adult in charge of them.
On many other occasions, babies could starve to death when their mother died and she couldn't feed them. If all went well, the little dinosaurs would quickly grow larger and be independent.
It is also believed that there were species of dinosaurs whose babies hatched from the egg fully developed and could start looking for their own food from directly without the help of their parents.
