The hadrosaur, commonly known as the “duck-billed dinosaur,” dominated the late Cretaceous landscapes 65 million years ago. Its characteristic flattened snout gives it a not fearsome appearance ideal for starring in children’s films. Its real appearance, however, would be far from what we are used to seeing. New research has revealed that the heads of these reptiles were adorned with a fleshy crest similar to that of roosters , which they possibly used to court females.
A mummified specimen of the species Edmontosauraus regalis found in a site west of the city of Grande Prairie (Canada) was the promoter of the find. The team of paleontologists from the University of New England (Australia) chiselled the upper part of his head and discovered the remains of a three-dimensional cranial ridge composed entirely of soft tissue . Its function is yet to be determined, although it is believed to be related to mating and social behavior.
Scientists are doubly surprised by the finding since soft tissues, which shape some essential appendages of vertebrate animals, rarely fossilize . The trunk of an elephant or the crest of a rooster cannot be preserved in sedimentary rocks as there is no bone inside. To date, all the ridges documented in the dinosaur fossil record were bony.
According to the authors of the study, this evidence radically alters our perception of the appearance and behavior of this reptile, and raises the possibility that we are wrong in the appearance of many dinosaurs , since the Tyrannosaurus Rex could be another of the carriers of a seductive crest.
