Throughout history, faith has emerged as a universal thread woven through the tapestry of human experience. It manifests itself in a myriad of forms across cultures and beliefs. In India's Madhya Pradesh, faith and belief turned out to be caretakers of important natural relics from the past: dinosaur eggs.

<h2>Stone balls or something else?</h2>

In Madhya Pradesh's Dhar, the Mandaloi family has been worshipping palm-sized "stone balls" for generations.&nbsp;

A resident of the Padlya Village, 41-year-old Vesta Mandaloi was following in his forefathers' footsteps, worshipping these balls as "Kakar Bhairav" — or lord of the land.&nbsp;

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As per a Times Of India report, Vesta and his family believed that the stone balls were a 'Kuldevta' or a totem that would protect their farmland and cattle from problems and misfortunes. Like the Mandaloi family, others in Dhar and in adjoining areas too had similar totems they worshipped for protection.

However, a team of researchers revealed that these balls turned out to be something else. Experts from Lucknow's Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences during a field visit determined that these stone ball totems were actually dinosaur eggs from a bygone era.&nbsp;

After an analysis, they came to the conclusion that these balls were fossilised eggs of the Titanosaurs species of dinosaurs.

<h2>Titanosaurs</h2>

It is the first Indian dinosaur to be named and properly described. The species&nbsp;was recorded for the first time in 1877, and its name means 'titanic lizard'. Titanosaur&nbsp;is among the largest dinosaurs to have roamed the planet. As per estimates, the species roamed the region around 70 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/india-scientists-discover-dinosaur-nests-265-fossilised-eggs-in-madhya-pradeshs-narmada-valley-555318">India: Scientists discover dinosaur nests, 265 fossilised eggs in Madhya Pradesh’s Narmada Valley</a>

Earlier this year, more than 250 eggs of the titanic lizard that once roamed the Narmada valley were discovered in MP's Dhar district.

In January, a study, published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal PLOS One detailed field research carried out by a team of researchers from Delhi University (DU) and the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Bhopal. They had uncovered 92 nesting sites containing 256 fossil eggs belonging to titanosaurs.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Throughout history, faith has emerged as a universal thread woven through the tapestry of human experience. It manifests itself in a myriad of forms across cultures and beliefs.

Throughout history, faith has emerged as a universal thread woven through the tapestry of human experience. It manifests itself in a myriad of forms across cultures and beliefs. In India's Madhya Pradesh, faith and belief turned out to be caretakers of important natural relics from the past: dinosaur eggs. Stone balls or something else? In Madhya Pradesh's Dhar, the Mandaloi family has been worshipping palm-sized "stone balls" for generations. A resident of the Padlya Village, 41-year-old Vesta Mandaloi was following in his forefathers' footsteps, worshipping these balls as "Kakar Bhairav" — or lord of the land. Also read | Chum salmon are breeding in Arctic, and it is 'an ominous sign’ for humanity As per a Times Of India report, Vesta and his family believed that the stone balls were a 'Kuldevta' or a totem that would protect their farmland and cattle from problems and misfortunes. Like the Mandaloi family, others in Dhar and in adjoining areas too had similar totems they worshipped for protection. However, a team of researchers revealed that these balls turned out to be something else. Experts from Lucknow's Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences during a field visit determined that these stone ball totems were actually dinosaur eggs from a bygone era. After an analysis, they came to the conclusion that these balls were fossilised eggs of the Titanosaurs species of dinosaurs. Titanosaurs It is the first Indian dinosaur to be named and properly described. The species was recorded for the first time in 1877, and its name means 'titanic lizard'. Titanosaur is among the largest dinosaurs to have roamed the planet. As per estimates, the species roamed the region around 70 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period. Also read | India: Scientists discover dinosaur nests, 265 fossilised eggs in Madhya Pradesh’s Narmada Valley Earlier this year, more than 250 eggs of the titanic lizard that once roamed the Narmada valley were discovered in MP's Dhar district. In January, a study, published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal PLOS One detailed field research carried out by a team of researchers from Delhi University (DU) and the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Bhopal. They had uncovered 92 nesting sites containing 256 fossil eggs belonging to titanosaurs. (With inputs from agencies)

India: Madhya Pradesh family's sacred totem 'kuldevta' turns out to be dinosaur egg

Some 122 million years ago, Spain was home to a massive never-seen-before dinosaur, new fossils show. The newly described species has been named Garumbatitan morellensis, and it was found during excavations at the Sant Antoni de la Vespa fossil site near the city of Morella.

Researchers have described their findings in a new study published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society on September 28.

<h2>A titan of yesterday</h2>

The sauropod fossil — dinosaurs with long necks, long tails, small heads, and four thick, pillar-like legs &nbsp;— was found during an excavation more than a decade ago, between 2005 and 2008.&nbsp;

Garumbatitan morellensis was a Titanosaur species, which is a subgroup of sauropods, and it was the only lineage to survive until the dinosaur-killing asteroid struck around 66 million years ago. &nbsp;

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During the excavation, researchers uncovered the remains of not just one, but three individuals. Remains include massive vertebrae, lengthy leg bones and two near-complete sets of foot bones, which reportedly is an extremely rare find for sauropods.&nbsp;

These massive fossils, as per estimates, date back to the Lower Cretaceous period (some 145 to 66 million years ago).

<h2>Titanosaurs</h2>

Garumbatitan morellensis, as per scientists, was a pretty average-sized Titanosaur, a subgroup used to classify the most massive sauropods.

While Titanosaurs were the heaviest sauropods, as per Live Science, they were not the longest. That title is reserved for Supersaurus, an as-of-yet unspecified sauropod species that stretched to 128 feet or 39 metres long.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/europeans-would-eat-not-bury-their-dead-15000-years-ago-study-643032">Europeans would eat, not bury, their dead 15,000 years ago: Study</a>

Garumbatitan morellensis's unusual bone shape, as per Live Science, suggests that the massive dinosaur was quite primitive. The discovery, as per the report, could help scientists better understand the evolution of these gigantic, long-necked dinosaurs.&nbsp;

These titans belonged to the sub-group Somphospondyli, whose fossils have been found on every modern-day continent. However, it is unclear where the Somphospondyli may have originated. The long-necked dinosaur discovery in Spain hints at the possibility that Europe may be where they first roamed.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Some 122 million years ago, Spain was home to a massive never-seen-before dinosaur, new fossils show. The newly described species has been named Garumbatitan morellensis, and it was found during excavations at the Sant Antoni de la Vespa fossil site near the city of Morella.

Some 122 million years ago, Spain was home to a massive never-seen-before dinosaur, new fossils show. The newly described species has been named Garumbatitan morellensis, and it was found during excavations at the Sant Antoni de la Vespa fossil site near the city of Morella. Researchers have described their findings in a new study published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society on September 28. A titan of yesterday The sauropod fossil — dinosaurs with long necks, long tails, small heads, and four thick, pillar-like legs — was found during an excavation more than a decade ago, between 2005 and 2008. Garumbatitan morellensis was a Titanosaur species, which is a subgroup of sauropods, and it was the only lineage to survive until the dinosaur-killing asteroid struck around 66 million years ago. Also read | NASA's 2023 Mission to Moon to feature Prada spacesuits During the excavation, researchers uncovered the remains of not just one, but three individuals. Remains include massive vertebrae, lengthy leg bones and two near-complete sets of foot bones, which reportedly is an extremely rare find for sauropods. These massive fossils, as per estimates, date back to the Lower Cretaceous period (some 145 to 66 million years ago). Titanosaurs Garumbatitan morellensis, as per scientists, was a pretty average-sized Titanosaur, a subgroup used to classify the most massive sauropods. While Titanosaurs were the heaviest sauropods, as per Live Science, they were not the longest. That title is reserved for Supersaurus, an as-of-yet unspecified sauropod species that stretched to 128 feet or 39 metres long. Also read | Europeans would eat, not bury, their dead 15,000 years ago: Study Garumbatitan morellensis's unusual bone shape, as per Live Science, suggests that the massive dinosaur was quite primitive. The discovery, as per the report, could help scientists better understand the evolution of these gigantic, long-necked dinosaurs. These titans belonged to the sub-group Somphospondyli, whose fossils have been found on every modern-day continent. However, it is unclear where the Somphospondyli may have originated. The long-necked dinosaur discovery in Spain hints at the possibility that Europe may be where they first roamed. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Scientists discover massive long-necked dinosaur 'titan' in Spain

Fossilised Titanosaurus eggs have been found by a group of paleontologists in Madhya Pradesh's Narmada Valley in India.

Trending on WION | India: Palaeontologists find 256 fossilised Titanosaur eggs and 92 nests in MP

Scientists have unearthed in Argentina's Patagonian wilderness fossils of what may be the oldest-known member of the dinosaur group known as Titanosaurs that includes the largest land animals in Earth's history.

Researchers said on Monday the fossils represent a dinosaur species named Ninjatitan zapatai that lived 140 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period. They identified Ninjatitan as a Titanosaur, a group of long-necked plant-eating dinosaurs that walked on four pillar-like legs.

The dinosaur's incomplete skeletal remains were discovered south of the city of Neuquen. The researchers said Ninjatitan demonstrated that the Titanosaurs as a group first appeared longer ago than previously known.

"It is the oldest record known, not only from Argentina but worldwide," study lead author Pablo Gallina, a researcher at the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research of Argentina (CONICET), told Reuters. "Titanosaurs are recorded on various sides of the world, but the oldest-known records were more modern than this find."

At a length of about 65 feet (20 meters), Ninjatitan was a large dinosaur, but much smaller than later Titanosaurs such as Argentinosaurus that reached a length of around 115 feet (35 meters). The researchers also said the presence of such an early Titanosaur in Patagonia supports the idea that Titanosaurs originated in the Southern Hemisphere.

The findings were published in the scientific journal Ameghiniana.

Titanosaurs are part of a larger dinosaur group called sauropods that includes others with similar body designs such as Brontosaurus and Diplodocus that lived in North America during the Jurassic Period, which preceded the Cretaceous Period.

A number of the titanosaurs that inhabited Patagonia achieved gigantic proportions such as Argentinosaurus, Patagotitan and Dreadnoughtus.

José Luis Carbadillo, another CONICET researcher, told a local university publication that the age of Ninjatitan's remains could have led people to assume that the bones belonged to a dinosaur group that pre-dated Titanosaurs.

"In Patagonia, Titanosaurs are only known about from less than 120 million years ago," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Scientists have unearthed in Argentina's Patagonian wilderness fossils of what may be the oldest-known member of the dinosaur group known as Titanosaurs that includes the largest land animals in Earth's history.

Scientists have unearthed in Argentina's Patagonian wilderness fossils of what may be the oldest-known member of the dinosaur group known as Titanosaurs that includes the largest land animals in Earth's history. Researchers said on Monday the fossils represent a dinosaur species named Ninjatitan zapatai that lived 140 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period. They identified Ninjatitan as a Titanosaur, a group of long-necked plant-eating dinosaurs that walked on four pillar-like legs. The dinosaur's incomplete skeletal remains were discovered south of the city of Neuquen. The researchers said Ninjatitan demonstrated that the Titanosaurs as a group first appeared longer ago than previously known. "It is the oldest record known, not only from Argentina but worldwide," study lead author Pablo Gallina, a researcher at the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research of Argentina (CONICET), told Reuters. "Titanosaurs are recorded on various sides of the world, but the oldest-known records were more modern than this find." At a length of about 65 feet (20 meters), Ninjatitan was a large dinosaur, but much smaller than later Titanosaurs such as Argentinosaurus that reached a length of around 115 feet (35 meters). The researchers also said the presence of such an early Titanosaur in Patagonia supports the idea that Titanosaurs originated in the Southern Hemisphere. The findings were published in the scientific journal Ameghiniana. Titanosaurs are part of a larger dinosaur group called sauropods that includes others with similar body designs such as Brontosaurus and Diplodocus that lived in North America during the Jurassic Period, which preceded the Cretaceous Period. A number of the titanosaurs that inhabited Patagonia achieved gigantic proportions such as Argentinosaurus, Patagotitan and Dreadnoughtus. José Luis Carbadillo, another CONICET researcher, told a local university publication that the age of Ninjatitan's remains could have led people to assume that the bones belonged to a dinosaur group that pre-dated Titanosaurs. "In Patagonia, Titanosaurs are only known about from less than 120 million years ago," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Fossils of Titanosaur, oldest member of dinosaur group, unearthed in Argentina

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