Long-term fidelity of megaoolithid dinosaurs to a large breeding-ground in the Upper Cretaceous of Aix-en-Provence (southern France).

Géraldine Garcia, Yves Dutour, Isabellle Cojan, Xavier Valentin and Gilles Cheylan

We present here the preliminary results from a new nesting site "Sextius-Mirabeau", discovered close to the historical centre of Aix-en-Provence in Upper Cretaceous deposits. This extensive megaloolithid nesting ground, the first large scale excavation (3225 m²) in France, yielded more than 530 eggs, some organized in clusters. Their study reveals the reproductive strategy of the megaloolithid egglayer group which indicates nesting fidelity and gregarious behaviour.