Re: "Brooding" Oviraptor

[Stan Friesen <swf@ElSegundoCA.ATTGIS.COM>]

From: "Dan Lipkowitz" <lipkowit@midway.uchicago.edu>
 > 
 > I was a bit surprised, however, to note that the eggs were of a size
 > and quantity which seemed (to my eye) to comprise a larger total
 > volume than the Oviraptor's body cavity. Unless the animal were
 > walking around with a grotesquely distended abdomen prior to laying
 > the eggs ..., I just can't see how it could have produced the entire
 > clutch at one time. I suppose that it's possible that the eggs were
 > dropped over an extended period of time (is there any history of this
 > in modern animals?) 

This is indeed quite common in living birds!  Many birds lay one egg at a
time, over a period of up to a couple weeks (depending on laying interval,
clutch size, and time before hatching). Some birds do not even commence
incubating the eggs until all are layed.

In fact, as near as I can tell, chickens do this.  As I remember
my grandfathers chickens, they each layed one egg at a time, with an
interval of about one or two days.  By collecting the eggs each day,
the clutch never "filled up", so the hens kept right on laying new eggs.

As far as I can tell, this sort of system is more common in birds than
is laying all eggs at one time.


Conclusion: it is both possible and likely that Oviraptor layed eggs
one at a time over several days or weeks.

swf@elsegundoca.attgis.com              sarima@netcom.com

The peace of God be with you.