What’s new:
New research from Seoul, South Korea, proposes a fascinating new insight into dinosaur behavior, suggesting that a specific species of small dinosaurs may have used their feathered proto-wings to frighten their prey—an evolutionary action posing a step in the development of feathers preceding their use for flight.
Why it matters:
This study adds a novel layer to our understanding of dinosaur evolution, offering a potential explanation as to why feathered wings first emerged in creatures that did not initially use them for flying. It implies that the trait evolutionarily inherited by modern birds had its roots not in aviation, but possibly in predation tactics.
Study insights:
The research team created a robotic simulation of a Caudipteryx—a small bipedal dinosaur with primitive wings, living approximately 124 million years ago—to experiment on how contemporary prey would react to the predation behaviors speculated to have been used by such dinosaurs.
The hypothesis:
A team at multiple institutions posits that dinosaurs may have used fluttering moves similar to birds to flush out prey from hiding spots, a theory named the ‘flush-pursuit hypothesis.’ They built a robot, playfully named Robopteryx, modeling Caudipteryx movements to test this on grasshoppers, contemporary stand-ins for prehistoric brain sizes and sensory pathways.
Finding the link:
The robotic dinosaur was made to showcase certain threatening displays resembling potential prehistoric behaviors such as wing spreading and tail raising. Observing grasshopper reactions, the study revealed a marked increase in their tendency to flee in when proto-wings were in use, particularly noting the movement sequence and aspects such as the presence of white color patches. This suggests such flee-inducing behavior could have afforded the animal a better chance at catching prey.
Broader implications:
If these behaviors benefited the survival and hunting efficiency of species such as Caudipteryx, they could explain why feathered appendages evolved well before the development of powered flight. It also enriches the discussion on convergent evolution among flying animals, including bats, flying squirrels, birds and these ancient feathered dinosaurs.
Scientific curiosity endures:
The dynamic relationship between predator and prey has long inspired evolutionary biology. With Robopteryx striking an emblematic pose for technology’s role in unraveling prehistoric puzzles, this pursuit eats at the heart of palaeontology—how did natural selection craft the earth’s earliest aviators, starting not in the sky, but with a threat dance along the Jurassic forest floor.
This story was first published on jpost.com.