MEZÉ, France — Paleontologists have uncovered approximately 100 dinosaur eggs dating to the Late Cretaceous period near Mèze in southern France, representing one of the largest concentrations of dinosaur eggs found in the region.
The discovery, made by geologist Alain Cabot and his daughter Marina during an excavation campaign that began in October 2025, offers new insights into dinosaur reproductive habits and the environmental conditions preceding their extinction.
The fossil deposit extends across approximately 50 square kilometres of ancient riverbed sediments. Studies conducted over several decades by Cabot, who founded the Dinosaur Museum-Park in Mèze, suggest that most eggs belonged to large herbivorous dinosaurs resembling titanosaurs — enormous, four-legged sauropods that included some of the heaviest land animals to have ever existed.
However, identifying the exact dinosaur species responsible for laying the eggs remains ambiguous. The region has also yielded fossils of rhabdodonts, herbivorous dinosaurs with distinctive beaks, and dromaeosaurs, smaller carnivorous dinosaurs.
Geological research, including magnetostratigraphic analysis, indicates that during the Late Cretaceous, much of Europe was an archipelago. Present-day southern France and parts of Spain formed a substantial landmass known as the Franco-Iberian Island. Cabot believes titanosaurs may have travelled in herds across its extensive river plains and returned periodically to established nesting grounds.
The discovery contributes to ongoing scientific discussions about dinosaur extinction. Notably, approximately 95% of the eggs found at the site had already hatched, making it difficult to establish a direct connection between particular eggs and their parent species. Scientists would ideally need fossilized embryos inside unhatched eggs or preserved remains of newborn dinosaurs to confirm origins.
The site's preservation occurred when river sediments buried the eggs, later brought closer to the surface by the formation of the Pyrenees. This find not only expands understanding of dinosaur biology but also offers a glimpse into the ancient geography of southern Europe during the final chapters of the Cretaceous period.
