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Scientists have discovered a chicken-sized dinosaur with dazzling feathers that resemble a peacock. It had yellowish-brown fur on its lower back, long “needles” protruding from its shoulders, colored bristles, an orange bill, and a long tail.
The dinosaur is called Ubirajara jubatus, and in the indigenous Indians it means “Lord of the Melena Lance”. The creature’s cervical spine was unique in the fossil record and was made of keratin, the same protein that makes up parts of our hair, nails, and skin.
Experts led by the University of Portsmouth believe that the unique spine may have been used to impress potential companions, and that the dinosaur may have indulged in a ‘master dance’ pose to show off.
Needles can be seen sticking out in a way that does not obstruct the dinosaurs’ arms and legs, or prevent them from hunting or sending signals.
I was really excited about this new compsognathid with weird screen filaments, but was disappointed to learn that it was probably smuggled out of Brazil. Anyway, here is December 14th – “Ubirajara jubatus Itchy” pic.twitter.com/u180Qr6eEo
– Emily Stepp (@Emily_Art) December 14, 2020
This is the quick reconstruction that I did of the Ubirajara (from the Cretaceous of South America) just described that I did last night. It is an amazing dinosaur, BUT unfortunately there are serious ethical issues regarding the specimen, which appears to have been smuggled out of Brazil. #paleoartpic.twitter.com/cSQGcb85gJ
– Gabriel NU (@SerpenIllus) December 14, 2020
The researchers explained that Ubirajara jubatus lived about 110 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period.
The new species was originally discovered in 1995 at Chapada do Araripe in northeastern Brazil, and was found in the collections of the State Museum of Natural History in Karlsruhe, Germany.
The team said the discovery could explain where birds like peacocks inherited their ability to show off, being descendants of modern dinosaurs.
Well, this one is going to become one of the paleoartists’ favorites: the newly named theropod Ubirajara jubatus from Brazil; whose remains include elongated tegumentary structures around the neck and shoulders similar to a bird of paradise.https: //t.co/VNaGWbEL3npic.twitter.com/I1BwQPZAcn
– Jamale Ijouiher (@JamaleIjouiher) December 14, 2020
Author and paleontologist David Martell of the University of Portsmouth noted that: “What is particularly unusual about this monster is that it has two very long, possibly stiff, bands on either side of its shoulders.”
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He explained that these “may have been used for display, to attract mates, to compete between males or to intimidate enemies. We cannot prove that the sample is a male, but due to the discrepancy between males and females, it seems likely that the shows out male and he is mostly young. ” Which is surprising given that the more sophisticated staging capabilities are reserved for grown men.
“These are valuable traits of such a small animal, and they are not what we expected at all,” said paper author and paleontologist Robert Smith, also of the University of Portsmouth.
“Why decorate yourself in a way that makes you more visible to both your prey and potential predators? The truth is, for many animals, evolutionary success is more than just survival, you have to look good too if you want to pass on your genes to the generation “. the next”.
Modern birds are known for their elaborate feathers and displays that are used to attract mates, and the tails of peacocks and the males of birds of paradise are notable examples of this.
Ubirajara jubatus explains that this tendency to show off is not a unique characteristic of birds, but something that birds have inherited from their dinosaur ancestors.
Source: Daily Mail
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