Stalicoolithidae

Stalicoolithidae is an oofamily of fossil eggs.^[1]

Stalicoolithidae Temporal range: Late Cretaceous PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Egg fossil classification
Basic shell type:	†Dinosauroid-spherulitic
Oofamily:	†Stalicoolithidae Wang, Wang, Zhao & Jiang, 2012
Oogenera
Coralloidoolithus Shixingoolithus? Stalicoolithus

History

Stalicoolithid eggs were first discovered in 1971, but they were described initially as Dendroolithids,^[2] or as Spheroolithids, in the case of "Paraspheroolithus" shizuiwanensis and Shixingoolithus.^[1]

Description

Stalicoolithids are distinguished from other oofamilies by several characteristics. Most significantly, they have secondary eggshell units in the outer zone, and three distinct subzones of the columnar layer.^[1][2] They have a unique mix of developmental characteristics, giving insight into the evolution of the amniotic eggshell.^[1]

Parataxonomy

Stalicoolithidae contains at least three oogenera: Coralloidoolithus, Stalicoolithus, and Shixingoolithus. Shixingoolithus contains two oospecies: S. erbeni and S. qianshanensis.^[1][3][4] Also, the enigmatic Parvoblongoolithus could potentially be a stalicoolithid.^[2]

References

1. Wang Q, Wang X L, Zhao Z K, and Jiang Y G. (2012). "A new oofamily of dinosaur egg from the Upper Cretaceous of Tiantai Basin, Zhejiang Province, and its mechanism of eggshell formation" Chinese Science Bulletin. 57: 3740-3747. doi: 10.1007/s11434-012-5353-2
2. Zhang, S., X. Jin, J.K. O'Conner, M. Wang, and J. Xie. (2015). "A new egg with avian egg shape from the Upper Cretaceous of Zhejiang Province, China." Historical Biology 27(5):595-602.
3. Moreno-Azanza, M., J.I. Canudo, and J.M. Gasca. (2014). "Spheroolithid eggshells in the Lower Cretaceous of Europe. Implications for eggshell evolution in ornithischian dinosaurs." Cretaceous Research 51:75-87.
4. He, Qing; Chen, Zhong-Liang; Zhang, Shu-Kang; Gui, Ze-Wen; Chen, Ya-Ting (2022-08-25). "A new oospecies of Shixingoolithus (Shixingoolithus qianshanensis oosp. nov.) from the Qianshan Basin, Anhui Province, East China". Journal of Palaeogeography. 11 (4): 629–639. doi:10.1016/j.jop.2022.08.001. ISSN 2095-3836.