| Heishanoolithus Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| Egg fossil classification | |
| Basic shell type: | Ornithoid |
| Morphotype: | Ornithoid-ratite |
| Oofamily: | †Elongatoolithidae |
| Oogenus: | †HeishanoolithusZhao and Zhao, 1999 |
| Oospecies | |
Heishanoolithus is an oogenus of Elongatoolithidfossil egg from the Shahai Formation in Liaoning. It is known only from seven eggshell fragments. It is most notable for having a very thin eggshell (1.2-1.3 mm thick), the dense covering of nodes on the eggshell surface, and for its relatively thin mammilary layer (making up only one eighth of the eggshell thickness).[1] While no remains of Heishanoolithus have been associated with skeletal remains, strong evidence links Elongatoolithid eggs to Oviraptorosaurs.[2]