Since the time of Aristotle, humans have stood amazed by birds' dazzlingly colorful eggs, which range from creamy hues to the deepest reds, blues, and greens. But long before our love of robin's-egg blue, nature may well have given us Velociraptor's-egg blue. After all, modern birds inherited their knack for vibrant eggshells from their dinosaur ancestors, which first gained the trait more than 145 million years ago, according to a recent study published in the journal Nature.

The result adds new color to our understanding of dinosaur reproduction. It may also leave you wondering: How did these dinosaurs hatch their eggs and rear their young in the first place? And in light of the latest fossils, what can