Protoceratops lived in what is now Mongolia during the Upper Cretaceous, between 83 and 72 million years ago. These herbivorous dinosaurs, measuring just under two meters long and about 60 centimeters high, were equipped with a bony ruffle that, like a cuirass, extended over their neck at the nape of the neck.
For decades, experts have speculated on the function of this structure. Thus, while for some paleontologists it was an exclusively defensive adaptation, for others it was a key attribute during courtship , which the best-equipped males displayed to seduce females.
Now, a team of researchers from Queen Mary University of London has revealed that in adults it was disproportionately large, at least compared to its size, while in younger specimens it was not present. In a study published in the journal Paleontologia Electronica , these scientists analyzed the evolution of this gola through four phases of development in 37 specimens, from their breeding stage to maturity. In this way, they have discovered that it arises suddenly when animals become adults . Over time, they get bigger and change shape, widening as they age.
According to the authors of the work, this peculiarity indicates that this anatomical characteristic played a determining role in sexual selection among protoceratops, that is, in the search for a mate, but also to reaffirm their position or establish their predominance when they carried out social interactions. .
Image: Antonin Jury via Wikimedia / CC
