Three Dinosaur Eggs Examined by CT Scan at the Anatomy Centre of the University of Bologna

A CT scan for three dinosaur eggs. The Anatomy Centre of the University of Bologna and a research group from the Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences have obtained exceptionally high-definition images of three specimens from the Geology Collection of the “Giovanni Capellini Museum” of the University, producing highly accurate three-dimensional models.

Using the first CT scanner in Italy dedicated exclusively to research (the new Philips Incisive CT scanner), the researchers were able to examine the internal and external morphology of the eggs to understand their original contents and the structure of their shells – a result that opens up new perspectives for the study of palaeontological and museum specimens.

The analysis, carried out through high-resolution CT imaging of the fossils, involved the Centre for Clinical, Surgical, Experimental and Molecular Anatomy, directed by Professor Lucia Manzoli, and the research team led by Professor Federico Fanti from the Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences.

“This is an extraordinary example of how advanced imaging techniques developed for precision medicine can also be applied in other fields,” explains Stefano Ratti, professor in the Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences and Scientific Coordinator of the Anatomy Centre of the University of Bologna. “In this case, the same technology that enables us to study the human body has been used to explore unique specimens of great historical and scientific value.”

Computerised tomography thus proves to be a fundamental tool not only in clinical settings, but also in palaeobiology, museum conservation and the enhancement of cultural heritage.

One of the three eggs, donated in the 19th century by Dr E. Pèlagaud to Professor Giovanni Capellini (1833–1922), geologist, palaeontologist and Rector of the University of Bologna, belongs to the species Aepyornis maximus. It was found in a marsh near Nos-Vey in Madagascar, where this species of giant bird survived until the 17th century. The egg has a maximum circumference of over 80 centimetres and an estimated capacity of about seven litres (equivalent to roughly 115 chicken eggs). It originally contained a fetus that was removed through a small hole in the shell; the specimen is still preserved in the Geology Collection of the “Giovanni Capellini Museum”.

“This is a specimen of extraordinary scientific and historical value, which allows us to connect current research with the insights of the great scholars of the 19th century,” emphasises Federico Fanti.

The other two eggs, never previously studied, are smaller and belong to a still-unidentified dinosaur species. No embryos were detected inside the specimens, making it impossible to determine precisely the species of the two dinosaur eggs. However, analysis of the shell and mineral content may provide further information useful for identifying the possible species involved.