The Paleontology Museum of Castilla-La Mancha inaugurates a display case with 72-million-year-old dinosaur eggs

The Paleontology Museum of Castilla-La Mancha (MUPA) inaugurated this Monday a new display case exhibiting a unique piece: 72-million-year-old titanosaur eggs, discovered in the Poyos Cretaceous sitein the province of Guadalajara. The discovery, the result of a research project supported by the regional government, has been described as “of global reference” for its extraordinary scientific value.

During the presentation, the Deputy Minister of Culture and Sports, Carmen Teresa OlmedoHe highlighted the uniqueness of the discovery:This is an exceptional find, as the coexistence of two different types of eggs in the same stratigraphic level is an extremely rare occurrence in the fossil record.The exhibition marks the official start of the Science Week 2025, which is celebrated from November 4 to 9 with a wide educational and informative program.

A fossil that rewrites the history of the Iberian Cretaceous

The eggs belong to the Villalba de la Sierra Training, an extensive geological unit that covers part of the provinces of Cuenca and Guadalajara and that preserves some of the richest deposits of the Upper Cretaceous in the Iberian Peninsula. According to the paleontologists in charge, this discovery It helps to better understand the diversity, reproduction, and distribution of sauropod dinosaurs shortly before its extinction 66 million years ago.

The project is led by the paleontologist Francisco Ortega, researcher of the UNED and coordinator of Evolutionary Biology Group, together with Fernando SanguinoOrtega has spent years excavating and analyzing the remains of the site of Poyos, located on the western edge of Buendía reservoir, an enclave that is part of one of the most important paleontological complexes in Europe.

"These eggs allow us to reconstruct the reproductive behavior of titanosaurs, learn about their nesting strategies, and understand how they interacted with their environment.“Ortega explained. The finding suggests that several species of titanosaurs They shared the same geological space, an unusual phenomenon that expands knowledge about the biodiversity of the Late Cretaceous in the region.

MUPA: science, education and heritage

The opening of the display case is part of the Science WeekThis event, which MUPA holds annually, aims to bring paleontological research closer to the general public. The 2025 edition includes school workshops such as “Robotic mission: discover the dinosaurs”conferences on the evolution and the form of life and family activities aimed at fostering scientific curiosity among young people.

The museum, located in Cuenca, has consolidated its role as national reference center in paleontology and as a meeting point between science and the public.Dissemination is as important as research“,” Olmedo emphasized.We want the people of Castilla-La Mancha to feel proud of their fossil heritage and understand its value for science and the natural history of the planet.".

A legacy from the past to inspire the future

With the presentation of the titanosaur eggs, MUPA not only displays an extraordinary fossil, but reaffirms its mission: to preserve, investigate and disseminate the paleontological heritage of Castilla-La Mancha.

The discovery, which could place Poyos among the most important sites in the world for the study of sauropods, demonstrates that the Iberian Peninsula was a diverse and dynamic ecosystem in the final chapters of the age of dinosaurs.

As visitors approach the new display case, Earth's story unfolds before their eyes once again: petrified eggs that, after 72 million years, They continue to tell the story of life, extinction, and the fossil memory that links us to the most distant past..