Scientists have discovered a new type of fossilized bird with very long feathers, believed to have been used by males to attract females about 121 million years ago.
Birds are generally known for their striking plumage, shaped by nature to attract mates, and this fossil discovery shows that the race to adorn and adapt to attract the opposite sex began as early as the age of dinosaurs. An international team of scientists, led by Alex Clark of the Field Museum of Natural History and the University of Chicago, described a new species of ancient bird, which translates to "dragon with irrigation," and the findings were published in the journal PLOS One.
During a research trip to the Chinese “Tianyu” Museum in Shandong Province, Clarke noticed a small skeleton among hundreds of fossils, distinguished by an unusually long tail feather.
The new species was given the Latin name Plumadraco bankorum (Banko's feathered dragon), in honor of the researchers Winston and Paul Banko. The bird was about the size of a blackbird, but its tail feathers were about 30 centimeters long, nearly twice the length of its body, making it one of the longest known tail feathers among fossil birds.
This species lived in the Cretaceous period about 121 million years ago, and belongs to the Eanarchornithes group, which was one of the most diverse groups of birds in that era before it became extinct about 66 million years ago with the dinosaurs.
Although determining the species' sex from fossils is difficult, scientists believe the discovered specimen was male, as long, ornate feathers are typically associated with courtship behavior in modern birds. Furthermore, an analysis of the tail structure suggests the bird was capable of rhythmic, striking movements of its feathers during mating, similar to the behavior of some contemporary birds.
Through chemical analysis of the fossils, the researchers suggested that the feathers were dark in color, between brown and black, with the possibility of a metallic sheen at the tips in blue or green.
The researchers conclude that this discovery confirms that complex patterns in birds evolved more than 120 million years ago, and that mating behavior based on "visual attraction" has been strongly present since the age of dinosaurs.
