Fancy chicken-sized dinosaur sported a furry mane and shoulder ribbons
It was the peacock of its time.
Some dinosaurs are known for their magnificent bulk. Hello, brontosaurus. Some have a fierce reputation for meat eating. Here's looking at you, T. rex. Now meet Ubirajara jubatus. It wasn't big, but it was glorious.
Ubirajara jubatus was a dinosaur the size of a chicken, and it was quite a looker. In a statement Monday, the University of Portsmouth in the UK characterized it as "the most elaborately dressed-to-impress dinosaur ever described."
Ubirajara jubatus lived 110 million years ago in what's now Brazil. A team led by University of Portsmouth researchers published a study on the dinosaur in the journal Cretaceous Research this month.
The dainty dino would've been decked out in a long furry mane with lengthy ribbons made of keratin, the same stuff as human hair and fingernails, extending from its shoulders. It would've been quite the sight in its day. The well-preserved fossil evidence shows it could likely raise and lower its mane.
The researchers suggest the dinosaur's fancy features could've played a role in mating displays like we see with modern birds like peacocks. "Given its flamboyance, we can imagine that the dinosaur may have indulged in elaborate dancing to show off its display structures," said co-author David Martill, a paleobiologist with the university.
Though the researchers can't say for certain if the fossil is male or female, they suspect it was a male. Said co-author Robert Smyth, "It represents a revolution in dinosaur communication, the effects of which we can still see today in living birds."