DINOSAUR HATCHLINGS HAD A BABYSITTER?

Dinosaur Hatchlings had a Babysitter. A potential nest of 24 baby dinosaurs was found with an older individual that is believed to be a babysitter or caretaker. What can this fossil tell us about the social behavior of psittocosauruses?

Article:
Hedrick et al. 2014. The osteology and taphonomy of a Psittacosaurus bonebed assemblage of the Yixian Formation (Lower Cretaceous), Liaoning, China. Cretaceous Research.

Photos & Video:
1. Nest of Psittocosauruses(overhead): University of Pennsylvania
2. Nest of Psittocosauruses(angle): The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
3. Scarlet Macaw Parrot Video: Canale25
4. Psittocosaurus Robot Video: GirN3li
5. Baby Cardinals in Nest Video: Blake Kirby
6. Cardinal Feeding Chicks Video: Vytas Bruzga
7. Mammal Eating Psittocosaurus: Nobu Tamura
9. Psittocosaurus Nest Brown Hue: Harry Nguyen

Music:
Soundtrack: Youtube Music Library

[LucaKoranda]

In my experience this sounds correct since I have a parakeet aviary with nesting and I set up a camera and noticed that not only were the parents feeding the babies, but also one of their closest birdy friends.

[CardOfNards]

I wish you put videos out more often. 

[Tosca]

Many of the dinosaurs were social animals and laid their eggs in colonies, much like sea birds do today. And, most were warm blooded. The non-avian dinosaurs were pretty much desecrated by the explosion of the meteorite on the Yucatan. But not all . . . today we have such a diversity of birds, but more than 90% less than 10 years ago.

[TophatwithTeeth]

It's often that you find a collection of bones where a whole in the ground or similar natural occurring traps was and a bunch of animals fell down in and got fossilized together.

[IRAMantisShrimp]

I love the way this was ended.  A lot of people need to realize that paleontology isn't perfect and should look at it in light of understanding that all of our 'facts' and 'theories' are based on a bunch of old bones scattered around a millions-year-old crime scene.  We can't know for sure exactly how they behaved until we actually manage to find a living specimen.

[theravenousrabbit]

We would need more fossils similar like this but I find it highly doubtful that they will ever be found. Though if we do find a second one with a similarly aged juvenile with the hatchlings it would be pretty definitive that it shows a pattern of behavior. 

[wise]

if mordern diapsids do it, i don't see why ancient diapsids wouldn't have done it as well

[theandrejohnsonshow]

what the scientists say makes sense to me

[AEPoolCare]

How do we know they do not become fertile till 9-10 years old? Seeing that there are non alive today, how are those calculations made? I'm just curious. Also how do we know the specimen is 6 years old? Is it possible that it is just a smaller specimen?

[fuzzygreen]

im always skeptical of figures so precise in regards to fossils. like becoming fertile at 9 years old, and that the large skull pictured is only 6 years old. sure, we can date ancient remains relatively accurately, but down to a few years? not buying it. 

[mustachewalrus]

He was king, not a baby sitter, I so know this!

[wildcardjoey]

Large egg or 6 year old was mentally ill and was too dumb to leave the nest.

[netherdominater]

Since this was a dinosaur, it could have been anything from a babysitter to a hungry juvenile trying to get some easy lunch.

[bugsbunnay]

the 6 old year was hungry, found a month's supply, and then the age of the dinosaurs were over. the end.

[jdmxnos]

How did all of them die at once in one pile?

[glowingjelly]

wait dinosaurs are not reptiles right?