Preserved Protoceratops Nest Shows Family Life of Dinos

Mongolian discovery adds to understanding of famed horned species.

The discovery of a nest holding 15 baby protoceratops from 70 million years ago has shed new light on how the species of dinosaur tended to its young. The nest, discovered by paleontologists in fossil-rich Mongolia, is a rarity in the dinosaur world as it shows that the protoceratops juveniles, close relatives of the triceratops, lived and developed in the nest for sometime after hatching. The find also suggests that protoceratops were doting mothers and had large litters so as to preserve the species' numbers against the constant threat of predators – especially velociraptors – in the area. The tiny fossils – most measured about 10 centimetres long – were remarkably well preserved, as 10 of the 15 babies were found fully intact. The paleontologists believe that a sudden sandstorm likely engulfed the litter, which might have ruined mama protoceratops' day but certainly helped scientists better understand the domestic lives of dinosaurs some 70 million years later.