Such “decorations” was completely absent from the smallest of dinosaurs.
Scientists said that T. Rex and other predatory dinosaurs, which were not covered with feathers, had some colored Mohawks – bony growths on the heads, which helped them to attract mates and scare off rivals.
The findings of scientists was published in the journal Nature Communications.
Many dinosaurs were carried on the heads and backs of the various crests and horns that, according to the researchers, carried out various social functions. However, such “decorations” were mostly of large species of dinosaurs and there were almost no small ones.
The researchers studied several dozen skulls of dinosaurs, given their size, the presence of feathers, and they occupy an ecological niche. In the result, it was found that initially, the greater were the dinosaur, the more he had a bone “Mohawk” or other “decorations.”
Such “decorations” were completely missing the smallest of the dinosaurs whose mass does not exceed 36 kgs, and met at large, whose weight exceeded 1.5 tons. In addition, the types with Mohawks and other decorations faster evolved towards gigantism than predatory dinosaurs, do not possess such traits. This suggests that these “Iroquois” played an important role in sexual selection, which give advantages to the offspring of larger individuals, with great bone ornaments.
However, the later dinosaurs, this pattern gradually disappeared. According to researchers, the relationship between “Mohawk” and the size of the dinosaur disappeared when the predatory species have started to get feathers. This suggests that the feathers were originally intended not for heating the body, and to attract females or other social goals. In addition, the rapid evolution after the appearance of “Iroquois” suggests that they were painted in bright colors to attract females and repel competitors.
