Scientists find perfectly preserved 66 million-year-old dinosaur embryo preparing to hatch like a bird

At least 66m-year-old fossil discovered in southern China reveals posture previously unseen in dinosaurs

A close-to-hatching oviraptorosaur dinosaur embryo was found in the Ganzhou, Jiangxi Province of China. The fossil was identified as a toothless theropod dinosaur, or oviraptorosaur, dating back 72 to 66 million years. It is housed at Yingliang Stone Nature History Museum in Fujian Province. Picture: Wang Dongming/China News Service via Getty Images

Scientists have announced the discovery of an exquisitely preserved dinosaur embryo from at least 66m years ago that was preparing to hatch from its egg just like a chicken.

The fossil was discovered in Ganzhou, southern China and belonged to a toothless theropod dinosaur, or oviraptorosaur, which the researchers dubbed “Baby Yingliang”.