title: Palaeontology: parental care in an ornithischian dinosaur.
abstract: Crocodilians and birds show extensive parental care of their young, but whether this behaviour evolved independently in these two groups of living archosaurs is unknown - in part because features of parenting among related fossil groups such as dinosaurs are unclear. A dramatic specimen of the small ornithischian dinosaur Psittacosaurus sp. (Dalian Natural History Museum D2156) from Liaoning in China reveals a single adult clustered with 34 juveniles within an area of 0.5 square metres, providing strong evidence for post-hatching parental care in Dinosauria.
authors.affiliation: Dalian Natural History Museum, 40 Xicun Street, Heishijiao, Shahekou, Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Qingjin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Jinyuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Varricchio
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chunling
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000489:Alligators and Crocodiles / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology; D025061:Dinosaurs / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D005580:Fossils; D009425:Nesting Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D016487:Parenting