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.
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What a splendid discovery and a lovely video. Please post more such videos about paleontology and University of Texas research in the future.