When it comes to the dinosaur species, the horniest are the sexiest - literally.
A new study from Queen Mary University of London found that those fancy frills and horns of the triceratops' cousin may have acted as a social or sexy signal to attract mates.
Although some scientists have linked dinosaur horns to sexual display among species, there is not enough proof. The widely held belief is that the horns are used by dinosaurs when performing predatory jobs and use it as protective mechanisms.
"Palaeontologists have long suspected that many of the strange features we see in dinosaurs were linked to sexual display and social dominance but this is very hard to show," says David Hone, Ph.D., a lecturer in Zoology department of the university.
To investigate, the researchers studied 37 specimens of Protoceratops andrewsi of different ages. The species are the size of a sheep and belong to the same family as triceratops.
Protoceratops has a big and bony frill that runs from the back of the head over the neck.
The scientist looked into the changes that the species' frills have undergone within four life phases: hatchling, young, near-adult and adult stages.
They found that the frills did not only exhibit size changes, it showed shape modifications as well. The frills became wider and larger than the dinosaurs' bodies as it gets old.
With this, the researchers think that the age-linked change is connected to a function that only adults do: attracting mates.
Paleontologist Andrew Farke from the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology in California suspects that the role of the frills and cheek horns have something to do with reproduction. Seeing that the biggest horns belong to the adults, then makes sense, he says. Farke was not involved in the study.
Many animals exhibit unique physical characteristics that may also attract mates. At present, biologists are increasingly recognizing that sexual selection is vital to biodiversity, says co-author Rob Knell.
Sexual selection is important not only in terms of what is attractive, strange or impressive in the animal kingdom, it may also determine how species arise.
The research was published (PDF) in the journal Palaeontologia Electronica.
