Data for: Novel quantification of eggshell surfaces in Dromaius novaehollandiae with implications for the fossil eggshells of Oviraptorosauria (Dinosauria)

The external surface of non-avian dinosaur eggs is not usually smooth like those of their avian descendants. Unique ornamentation patterns sculpt the exterior of the eggs, a trait that is difficult to interpret because of its scarcity in modern taxa. One avian species that does homoplastically, present similar external eggshell ornamentation to that of non-avian dinosaurs is Dromaius novaehollandiae Latham, 1790, the emu. Here we use D. novaehollandiae eggs in conjunction with a clutch of oviraptorosaurian dinosaur eggs (NCSM 33576, Macroelongatoolithus carlylei) to test new methods of quantifying external eggshell ornamentation. Currently, the only scientific language for describing and comparing ornamentation styles in fossil ootaxa is restricted to qualitative categorization, which introduces issues of subjectivity and overly broad and overlapping typification. In this study, we derived and tested a new statistical quantitative approach to quantifying ornamentation that includes two ..., To compare eggs, we measured morphometrics (egg length and width) using digital calipers. We weighed D. novaehollandiae eggs using digital scales, and calculated egg volume using the equation from Hoyt [45]. We digitized the eight fossil and six extant eggs using the application Metascan on an Apple iPhone 12 Pro, following the methods of Avrahami and Herzog [46]. We coupled the iPhone camera with a 15x macro lens and a 10 cm diameter ring light. Meshes built this way achieved comparable resolutions to μCT scans (mean pixel size of c. 11 microns), and provided a methodology that could compare D. novaehollandiae eggs with M. carlylei that could not be CT scanned at high resolution in its current nest configuration. These high-fidelity scans also compare favorably to other portable surface scanners for the relatively low relief and high detail of eggshell surface texture versus other paleontological surfaces. Completed scans were exported as .gltf files from the application, preserving al..., , # Data for: Novel quantification of eggshell surfaces in *Dromaius novaehollandiae* with implications for the fossil eggshells of Oviraptorosauria (Dinosauria)

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.70rxwdc6q](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.70rxwdc6q)

## Description of the data and file structure

### Files and variables

#### File: EmuOvi\_PMatrix.csv

**Description:** This is the taxon or NCMNS ID number followed by each egg used (egg 1 = e1 etc.)

##### Variables

* Harmonic Mean: combined mate-analysis value for DNE, Slope, and Orientation.
* NCSM33576_E1: first egg of the Deep Eddy *M. carlylei* nest.
* NCSM33576_E2: second egg of the Deep Eddy *M. carlylei* nest.
* NCSM 33576_E3: third egg of the Deep Eddy *M. carlylei* nest.
* NCSM 33576_E4: fourth egg of the Deep Eddy *M. carlylei* nest.
* NCSM 33576_E5: fifth egg of the Deep Eddy *M. carlylei* nest.
* NCSM 33576_E6: sixth egg of the Deep Eddy *M. carlylei* nest.
* NCSM 33576_E7: seventh egg of the Deep Eddy *M. carlylei* nest.
* NCSM ...