Crocodilian eggs are hard at oviposition having been calcified en masse in the oviduct. Attenborough got it wrong (not often but it does happen). I have worked on and hatched alligator eggs and they are as hard as porcelain! This is true for ALL crocodilian eggs.
Last night I saw (again) an old David Attenborough program called "Living with dinosaurs", a dreadful name since it was about crocs, chelonians and large lizards, but it did show absolutely unambiguously, a crocodylian hatching from a soft-shelled egg. Attenborough even talked in terms of the mother helping them hatch out of their leathery eggs.
Also, as the croc mother was laying the eggs, they did seem to be fairly soft, though this was much harder to be certain of. They were dropped an inch or two onto each other without causing any damage or even noise.
I've repeatedly seen it claimed that all crocs lay hard shelled eggs, and every croc egg I've seen (on TV) away from the nest was hard. Can someone confirm that they are soft when laid, harden up after that and then become soft again before hatching, and that this is what happens with all modern crocodylian eggs?
Thank you very much for Kenneth Carpenter that after months of searching has located a the paper below...If anybody would like a copy...Just frop me an email! ...
Hi I fancy a copy of that Cheers ... -- Miguel Moreno-Azanza Grupo Aragosaurus Area de Paleontología Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra Universidad de...
Last night I saw (again) an old David Attenborough program called "Living with dinosaurs", a dreadful name since it was about crocs, chelonians and large ...
Crocodilian eggs are hard at oviposition having been calcified en masse in the oviduct. Attenborough got it wrong (not often but it does happen). I have worked...
YeahButNoButYeahButNoBut.... Thanks for that, Charles. Well, now I really don't know what's happening, because I was so shocked I stayed up to watch it all...
What you saw was a situation that is very common in crocodilians. The extraction of calcium from the shell makes the connection between the calcite crystals...
Dear colleagues, I just saw the discussion regarding croc eggs. Mr. John Jackson and Charles Deeming have already clarified about the situation about the egg...
Hi, For personal and family reasons we do not watch TV at home. Though we watch films and documentaries. Please, I would appreciate if somebodycould send me...
... Good idea! I've read Lala's posting (for which, thanks Lala) which agrees with Charles'. It seems that the filmmakers did, as I mentioned in my last ...
... Maybe the filmmakers removed much of the hard outer shell leaving only the inner membrane for us to see. ... I'd be very interested to see what you think...
Speaking as a bird and reptile embryologist and incubationist of 25 years standing... since when has the hard shell been there to stop the lungs being...
Hard eggshells likely evolved for different causes. I think john is refering to that paper by our friend, where he points out that hbirds evolve hard eggshells...
Dear all, Regarding why a hardshell........... (1) Think of 50 odd eggs of a crocodilian, each weighing about 150-180 grams deposited into one pit. What will...
Hi Lala, Please, we would appreciate if you could send us PDF copies of your work.. "Lala A.K. Singh" <laksingh2005@...> wrote: Dear all, Regarding why...
Thank you for the interest. I will send you at least the pulished portions Regards. Lala Xavier Panades I Blas <cogombra@...> wrote: Hi Lala, Please,...
Thanks for addressing this Xavier - I was a bit delayed because I couldn't find my hard copies of Duncker's works (ironic really, but I think it's only ...
Thank you very much John, Please, I would appreciate a PDF copy of K. Schmidt-Nielsen, "How Birds Breath," Scientific American, December 1971, p. 72-79, John...
Unfortunately I think Sci Am doesn't store papers that old in its electronic archives. I'd have to scan it in, and could do it I think on Tuesday or...
This is my question "why birds reduce the eggshell's unit and incorporate two to three layers on the top of it?" I will scan the paper for all of you... ...
I wonder if someone could give a help in my query: besides the possible crocodile eggs from the Late Jurassic of Portugal (personal data), which is the oldest...
Charles and everybody elese I have this paper in PDF. He has 7 more and it will take me a while to scan them...Please, I would appreciate if you could wait for...
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