Did you know that…

A long time ago, there was a division in the parenting strategies of dinosaurs.

Some species had precocial offspring (like most reptiles) that could fend for themselves shortly after birth. Others, especially hadrosaurs like Maiasaura, had altricial young, which were born helpless and required their parents to provide food and protection for months.

The dinosaur Maiasaura is famous for fossil evidence of parental care. Nests have been found in colonies suggesting that Maiasaura protected and fed their young in the nest for a considerable time after hatching, since the babies’ bones were not yet developed enough to walk—unlike the early dinosaurs, especially those from the Triassic period, which laid soft-shelled eggs that they buried in the ground. Once laid, the parents abandoned them to their fate, much like many sea turtles do today.

Parental “love” existed

The dedication of time and energy to building complex nests, incubating eggs, and caring for helpless young suggests a strong emotional bond or parental instinct similar to what we see in modern birds.

Paleontologists infer that “parental love” is an evolutionarily ancient behavior that was already present during the age of the dinosaurs.

Altricial hatchlings (like those of Maiasaura) were born underdeveloped, with weak leg bones and joints, which meant they were completely dependent on their parents for food and protection in the nest. Other precocial young (like those of some primitive sauropodomorphs) could walk and follow their parents or the herd shortly after hatching.

Dinosaur eggs could take anywhere from three to six months to incubate.

This long nesting period made them vulnerable to predators and environmental changes, which may have been a factor affecting their overall survival as a species.

A division in parenting strategies:

“Survivors” vs. “Dependents”

They “protected their young without crushing them.”

How could such massive dinosaurs care for tiny offspring without harming them? It’s believed that some species developed strategies such as creating a central hollow in the nest to sit in while incubating, reducing direct pressure on the eggs and hatchlings. In addition, their behavior around the nesting area was likely very cautious.

How long did incubation last? Dinosaur eggs had a very long incubation period, ranging from three to six months.

This demonstrates that the parental behavior of dinosaurs was complex and diverse — and that the evolutionary success of many species may have largely depended on their parenting strategies. Applied to our own society, this reinforces the idea that “evolutionary success depends greatly on one’s parenting strategies.”

Once upon a time, in a green and sunny valley, there lived a friendly little dinosaur named Dino. Dino wasn’t the biggest or the fastest dinosaur, but he had the biggest heart.

One night, while looking at the sky, Dino saw a bright star fall down behind the hills.
“Oh no!” Dino said. “That star must be lost. I have to help it find its way back.”

So, Dino started his adventure.

He walked through the tall trees where the birds sang songs to cheer him on.

He crossed the river where the fish splashed happily.

Finally, he climbed the big hill where the star had landed.

At the top, he found the star sitting sadly on a rock.
“Hello, little star,” Dino said kindly. “Don’t be afraid. I’ll help you go home.”

Dino lifted the star gently and placed it on his nose. With a mighty stretch, he pointed his nose to the sky—and the star floated back up, shining brighter than ever!

The whole valley lit up with golden light.
“Thank you, Dino!” whispered the star from the sky.

Dino smiled, curled up under the glowing starlight, and went to sleep—happy that even a little dinosaur could do big, wonderful things.

The End. 🌟🦖