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So, it's established that most saucebacks lay eggs. However, as far as I'm aware, the actual anatomy and structure of the eggs beyond that is not specified. So, I'd like to give my take on what a sauceback egg is probably like.

Let's look at the evolution of sauceback reproduction:
- Saucebacks evolved from worms which laid their eggs in or near plent carcasses, which are naturally moist. This is not said to change in early saucebacks.
- There's no mention of this ever changing in the four-jawed saucebacks until the Falsequill Sauceback, which lays its eggs in the soil around itself. Underground or otherwise moist locations for eggs are the standard in its descendants, so I think it's safe to assume that they never evolved any way for their eggs to handle desiccation.
- This is also not mentioned changing in most basal tusked saucebacks, though Signaling Sauceback's description seems to suggest it stays near its eggs. Saucetea lays its eggs underground on the beach, which would also be moist but not necessarily saturated.
- The Feathered Sauceback's reproductive method, on the other hand, is not mentioned to change at all and it presumably still lays eggs near carcasses.
- The Lightfoot Sauceback is the first in the line to crown saucebacks to mention changes, now constructing insulated nests. This is where I would guess desiccation resistance probably evolved. This is seemingly inherited unchanged in the dark sauceback clade; in fact, the river scorpion sauceback specifically mentions keeping its eggs away from water.
- The Foi-Devourer Sauceback seemingly switched to eggs that can be submerged in water. Whatever defense it had against water entering was presumably reduced. In the larvaback line, eggs eventually seem to have transitioned to not needing to be laid on land at all somewhere along the way (first mentioned in Finback), while waxfaces switched to being ovoviviparous.
- Back on the path to the Glacial Sauceback saucebacks, however, eggs still seem to have desiccation protection...for a while.
- Seemingly out of random misinterpretation, the Glacial Sauceback inexplicably lost desiccation protection and started having aquatic larvae for no reason. Why the hell was this approved?
- Sansheh regained terrestrial young and desiccation-resistant eggs.
- Loafshell switched to ovovivipary.
- Lipped Sauceback specifically reverted its reproduction and regained desiccation resistance with "soft shells".
- Haglox switched to hard-shelled eggs, which are presumably calcified.
- Spotted Sauceback seemingly regained desiccation-resistant eggs.
- Harnessback switched to hard-shelled eggs.
- Brighteyes is described as having bird-like eggs. I can confirm it's not actually changed from the hard-shelled eggs of its ancestor except maybe in shape or color. I was just playing up the whole bird thing.

Based on how sauceback eggs jumped around in anatomy and nature, and based on sauceback biology in general, I think it's safe to assume that saucebacks do not have typical amniote eggs. I would like to propose that instead, they actually have insect-like eggs, though vastly upscaled.
- Most saucebacks do not have calcified structures and therefore would not benefit from a calcified eggshell like an amniote or a snail. The Haglox's calcified skeleton is a derived trait.
- Saucebacks do, however, have a lot of chitin and are able to incorporate any chitin they consume into their skeleton. Insect eggs are protected from desiccation by a chitinous cuticle, and if saucebacks have similar eggs they could eat their eggshells after hatching for a nutrient boost.
- The cuticle of insect eggs is secreted by the serosa, which is easily lost to make eggs that must be laid in damp locations. If saucebacks have insect-like eggs, this would explain why their eggs jump around like that.
- The serosa would likely have first evolved in the Lightfoot Sauceback, and saucebacks with hard-shelled eggs may have more derived serosa.

How does this sound?

This post has been edited by Disgustedorite: Jan 23 2021, 02:11 PM

I'm game with this interpretation. I have a very vague memory that someone described them as having shark-like eggs at some point, or something between a shark egg and a soft shelled reptile egg. I think it was partially inspired by these eggs which look a lot like the thornworms instead of complete practicality.

I've never heard about that.

Should I note this on the general page?

I'll open this up for a vote, but yeah I don't see any reason why this won't be accepted

Overwhelming consensus is that this is acceptable, so it now is. Feel free to edit the Sauceback page.

I've added it.