Mating dances were identified through the footprints left 100 million years ago by “cousins” of T. Rex.
100 million years ago, in the west of the United States today, male dinosaurs danced in front of females to try to conquer them. Scientists know it now, thanks to footprints left on the rocks of the Serra dos Dinosauros, in the state of Colorado.
Full of trails left by the former reptiles, the region was studied for years, with scientists suggest that animals were returning to the mating places of this part of the country in propitious times. Last July 4th, a study by Cretaceous Research magazine showed that several males grouped into the mountains in what is called lekor collective display arena.
Mating dance
Who left the footprints in the region were teroundgroup dinosaurs of the group that included the Rex tyrannosaurosDuring the Cretaceous period, between 145 and 66 million years ago.
It is not known exactly what species left the tracks, but it was a small, ostrich theopod, approximately. According to the analyzes, the dinosaurs buried the claws in the sand and scraped the paws, throwing the grains back.
This mating ritual had variations, with males to switch between the two paws and make different dances. Two of them are known: one era made backwards, and by repeating the move of digging, which erased the half of the back of the footsteps. After three or more repetitions, the dinosaur turned in the opposite direction to the clock pointers, something that scientists compared with the iconic Moonwalk do cantor Michael Jackson.
The other dance consisted of one or two steps to the sides, also with the movement of digging, show pairs of holes side by side left by the animals. Lek mating is a common behavior of some modern birds, such as pheasant (Centrocercus urophsianus), that, in spring, swells the pockets of air chest and displays to females.
With aerial filming by drones, 25 new pairs of holes dug by the old reptiles were identified, and only 2 or 3 tracks had been noted by scientists without technology.
