Theropod eggshell from the Allen formation?

[dinosaur man]

Is this a theropod eggshell from the Allen formation Argentina?

[caldigger]

Blurry and dark picture, but to me it is looking like the common Saltasaurus shell fragment.

[dinosaur man]

Here’s a better one

[Haravex]

its looks like saltasaurus the nearest scientific name I have found is Sphaerovum, again better quality images are needed to make a positive id 

[Randyw]

+1.. from the pictures it looks like It matches the saltasaurus egg fragments that I’ve got 

[dinosaur man]

[dinosaur man]

I can’t get any better ones I’m doing it on my tablet not iPhone and it doesn’t take the best of pictures 

[CBchiefski]

Howdy @dinosaur man, I agree with the others. Your eggshell is unlikely from a theropod, rather its appearance is similar to what has been found in direct association with titanosaur embryos. Just based on the pictures alone I cannot narrow it down to an oospecies but the oogenus (egg-type) is likely Megaloolithus so you could label it as “Megaloolithus sp.” in this case. I realize that is not as catchy as Saltasaurus or titanosaur but is technically more accurate, however, since the connection between Megaloothithus and titanosaurs is well established, you can label it as “Saltasaurus or titanosaur eggshell” then add Megaloothithus to any additional notes.

[dinosaur man]

Thanks 

[dinosaur man]

I recently read that Saltsaurus robustus is not a valid species on one of troodons post so could this be another titanosaur?

[Fossildude19]

Yes it could be. 

You can't really narrow down egg shell bits to species level unless they are found with a nesting skeleton. 

As stated above by @CBchiefski,  you can label it :

 

 

"... you could label it as “Megaloolithus sp.” in this case. I realize that is not as catchy as Saltasaurus or titanosaur but is technically more accurate, however, since the connection between Megaloothithus and titanosaurs is well established, you can label it as “Saltasaurus or titanosaur eggshell” then add Megaloothithus to any additional notes.

 

EDIT: Also, Saltasaurus  is a genus name. The second name is a species name, so it could also be Saltasaurus sp.  

 

 

I think labeling it Titanosaur, indet., is probably best. 

[Troodon]

The real problem with material from Argentina is the provenance.   My experience, when it was legal to sell, was that the handoff from digger to exporter to seller was not very well managed with localities/formations based on what would sell than fact.  My suggestion is that this eggshell be identified by its scientific name Megaloothithus or Titanosaurus indet.

 

Saltasaurus is currently  valid genus however several species have been reassigned or considered invalid and S. loricatus still could be reassigned