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Dinosaurs Developed Feathers To Attract Mates, Not Fly

October 26, 2012 / attracting mates, courtship, dinos, dinosaurs, feathers, flying, hey -- feathers or no feathers consider me ATTRACTED, i think you look GREAT, interesting, knowing is half the battle, mating, not flying, now we know, oh snap -- two dinosaur related posts in a row somebody bang the gong!, paleontologists, sexy, yow yow

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In news that shouldn't surprise anyone who finds them so irresistible, paleontologists are now claiming that the earliest dinosaurs to develop feathers did so for courtship purposes and not to soar like giant, sexy eagles. *ruffling tail-feathers* CAW, CAW!

"They may have initially evolved as a secondary sexual characteristic," says a paper published Thursday in the prestigious journal Science.


"Because they're in these large dinosaurs, (wings) haven't evolved for flight," Zelenitsky says. "(And) because these wing-like structures develop later in life, that suggests they were used for purposes like display or courtship or egg-brooding."

Wow, so those girls who weave feathers in their hair might actually be on to something besides looking ridiculous. And to think I would just make fun of them. Hey -- you're no bird! Well, maybe a DODO. (I should work on my burns, I get it)

Thanks to Jasonsaurus, pirhan, Cambrian and Matt, who have officially convinced me to tar and feather myself before traveling back in time.

There are Comments
  • tinn12

    if it were a SUCCESSFUL mating strategy, you'd think they'd still have them. so maybe you're still ok mocking the girls with feathers in their hair...

  • So. They realized that they weren't getting dates, and willingly changed themselves to start growing feathers? So. Can other species willingly grow feathers? How does one go about doing that? *scrunches up face and pushes really hard* Nope. That just makes farts.

  • NoveltyFishHead

    Last time my species tried, they just ended up flying out of the ocean with longer finds. ;A;

  • hmm...perhaps to also scare off predators if they had giant eye patterns on the underside of each arm. BOOGA BOOGA BOOGA!!!

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