An entire and perfectly preserved dinosaur egg was recently discovered in Argentina and has stunned experts around the world.

The prehistoric egg was discovered in the Rio Negro in Patagonia and dates back to 70 million years.

Outwardly, it looks very much like an ostrich egg. However, this egg was probably born from a member of the genus Bonapartenykus – a small, carnivorous theropod that lived in the area during the late Cretaceous period.

This is what Bonapartenykos would have looked like, according to research by paleontologists

Paleontologists from the Laboratory of Comparative Anatomy and Vertebrate Evolution of Argentina, led by Dr. Federico Agnolin, discovered the dinosaur egg along with a nest.

Although dinosaur eggs have been found in the area in the past, one so well preserved is very rare.

It may even contain fetal material, according to the archaeological team – which plans to carry out in-depth scans to find out.

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Dr. Federico Agnolin, the moment he excitedly discovers the egg

“It was a complete and utter surprise,” Gonzalo Muñoz, of Argentina’s Bernardo Rivadavia Museum of Natural Sciences, told National Geographic.

As he explained, eggs from carnivorous dinosaurs are particularly rare for several reasons.

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“First, there were fewer carnivorous than herbivorous dinosaurs,” he said. “But other than that, their eggs were more avian-like, since the lineage of carnivorous dinosaurs is what gave rise to birds.

“So they would be more delicate eggs, with much thinner shells, more prone to damage.”

“Finding these types of eggs is more difficult. That’s why this discovery is so extraordinary and impressive” he said characteristically.