Microraptor suggests feathers evolved to attract mates
Julia Clarke, assistant professor of paleontology, discusses how a feathered tail on birds may have evolved as a function of communication and not of aerodynamics.
Julia Clarke, associate professor of paleontology at the Jackson School of Geosciences, discusses how a tail shape with feathers may have originated as a function of communication rather than aerodynamics, which came later in the evolution of flight.
What to read next:
- Read the full news item: Iridescent, Feathered Dinosaur Offers Fresh Evidence That Feathers Evolved to Attract Mates
- View more images related to this discovery
Credit for home page banner image: Artist’s recreation of Microraptor with iridescent plumage. Credit: Jason Brougham/U. of Texas at Austin.
