The oldest ornithischian dinosaur perinate from Europe and the palaeobiology of basal iguanodontian dinosaurs

The study of dinosaur reproduction and development is one of the most exciting fields in palaeontology, but dinosaur babies are extremely rare Micro-CT scan revealed a perinatal ornithopod dinosaur encased in a small block of sandstone. The specimen is 70% complete and articulated, being one of the most complete dinosaurs of Portugal, one of the oldest perinatal ornithopod dinosaurs of the world, and the oldest of Europe. We will use synchrotron x-ray imaging to (1) improve our available 3D model (2) identify additional bones and soft tissue (cartilage and skin), and (3) produce tomographic histological sections to assess the ontogenetic state of the specimen. We will obtain a high-quality 3D reconstruction of the full specimen, coupled with submicron resolution data on key areas of interest. Our study will shed light on the evolution of the reproductive and developmental traits in the obscure stem-most members of a clade of dinosaurs that later dominated most terrestrial ecosystems.