Brazilian and Chinese researchers have just stumbled upon a tremendous discovery after finding around 300 fossilized eggs along with the skeletons of pterosaurs, with many being well preserved. About 215 eggs of the pterosaur, which flew and have jagged teeth, were found in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in China.

Hamipterus tianshanensis ate fish and lived about 120 million years ago in the time of the dinosaurs. This must have been a major nesting site for the species to find so many eggs and adult skeletons in the same area. Scientists even took to calling it “Pterosaur Eden.”

Although 215 eggs were found, scientists think even more could be buried there, bringing the total as high as 300. The pterosaurs in this case probably lived in a busy colony near what was then a large freshwater lake.

“The specimens can be attributed to Hamipterus tianshanensis, the sole species in this bonebed. The most important section is a sandstone block (3.28 m2) that yielded 215 eggs, but up to 300 may be present, because several more appear to be buried under the exposed ones”, said Dr. WANG Xiaolin, lead author of the study and project designer of the IVPP.