21/06/2026

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Plumadraco used long tail feathers to attract mates, likely by dancing

have featured an up-and-down bobbing of the tail or holding the feathers up in a raised posture, Clark told Reuters. The fossil’s chemical makeup indicated the feathers were dark brown or black, the researchers said, but there may have been some eye-catching colours at the tips of the tail feathers, perhaps iridescence or blue or purple. Birds evolved from small feathered dinosaurs during the Jurassic Period. The earliest-known bird Archaeopteryx dates to about 150 million years ago. Plumadraco – meaning “feathered dragon” – lived almost 30 million years later during the subsequent Cretaceous Period, but shared some traits with the earlier Archaeopteryx such as a mouthful of teeth. Plumadraco belonged to the most diverse group of birds, called enantiornithines, that lived during the age of dinosaurs, that was wiped out by the asteroid strike 66 million years ago that ushered in the age of mammals. Its tail feathers, about 30cm long, were the longest compared with body length of any of the known enantiornithines. It inhabited a temperate forest environment dotted with ponds, streams and lakes, living alongside other birds, flying reptiles called pterosaurs, early mammals and various dinosaurs, including relatively small early relatives of Tyrannosaurus. The researchers are not sure of its diet, but it might have eaten fruit and insects. Plumadraco’s skeleton is preserved with the bones positioned as they would have been in life, although many are crushed from the fossilisation process. The fossil preserves almost the entire body covering of feathers, from just behind the snout to the ankles – body feathers, flight feathers and tail feathers. “Plumadraco helps us understand the function of the ‘fancy feathers,” said O’Connor.

121 million years ago, found preserved with nearly its entire plumage, including tail feathers that were two times as long as its body. They believe the specimen was male because long ornamental tail feathers today typically belong to male birds. Based on the length and structure of these feathers and the anatomy of a skeletal structure called a pygostyle that anchored the muscles controlling them, the researchers hypothesise a male Plumadraco would have moved its tail feathers up and down in a display to get the attention of a mate. “With this specimen, we have a pretty strong argument that not only did males probably try to attract females with feather ornamentation, but they also did so with ridiculous lengths and probably displays. “It means that 121 million years ago, this male Plumadraco was dragging along a train of tail feathers twice its body length, just to impress potential mates, something we see today in modern birds as well. “Pretty cool if you ask me,” said Chicago University evolutionary biology doctoral candidate and Chicago Field Museum researcher Alex Clark, who is also lead author of a study published recently in the journal PLOS One . The pygostyle’s structure suggests big muscles for up-and-down movements and an absence of muscles for tail spreading, said Field Museum paleontologist and study co-author Jingmai O’Connor. “I think it would have been in the trees when it did its mating display, otherwise the feathers would drag on the ground and make a much less impressive display. “It was most likely a combination of feather length, display skill and feather quality that led to mating success.” Plumadraco’s hypothesised mating dance showing off its tail feathers may

An illustration of a male (left) and female Plumadraco. – CHICAGO FIELD MUSEUM HANDOUT VIA REUTERS

N EW GUINEA tropical rainforests are home to one of the animal kingdom’s most spectacular courtship rituals, with male birds of paradise prancing about and showing off their plumage, hoping to attract a female. But as a new fossil from China indicates, such behaviour in birds may date back to the age of dinosaurs. Researchers said the fossil discovered in northeastern China was of a newly identified pigeon-sized bird species called Plumadraco bankoorum, that lived about Captive breeding Wayne Beggs, conservation department kakariki karaka recovery programme lead, said breeding pairs such as Nacho and Trixie were ensuring the species did not go extinct. “We rely on the captive breeding programmes as without them, we couldn’t establish new sites. “The wild populations are very vulnerable to predators, so we always need backup populations,” said Beggs. Percasky said Nacho and Trixie had made a “massive contribution” to the survival of their species, but he wants the love birds to “have a well-earned break” after their latest clutch. “I’m not sure where they get all their energy from.” – AFP populations.” “ the The wild populations are very vulnerable to predators, so we always need backup

‘Extinct’ parakeet gets lifeline from unusually frisky pair of lovers ONE of the world’s rarest parakeets has seen its numbers surge thanks to a pair of super breeders now responsible for more than 10% of the total population.

The New Zealand native kakariki karaka – or orange-fronted parakeet – is critically endangered and has twice been declared extinct, only to be rediscovered. There are about 450 of the birds left, mainly in sanctuaries and predator-free islands but also in wild populations. Parents Nacho and Trixie were paired up in 2024 at the Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust in Christchurch and have since produced 55 chicks, including 33 this year alone. Wildlife manager Leigh Percasky praised “super-mum” Trixie. “The breeding season has ended and yet she’s still producing eggs and raising chicks. “Ideally, we’d prefer her to stop so she can have a rest, but she shows no signs of that, with another seven chicks in her most recent clutch. “Nacho also deserves credit as he’s responsible for finding food for both Trixie and the chicks, which is incredibly busy,” said Percasky.

A researcher showing two chicks produced by Nacho and Trixie. – AFPPIC