Latest news with #DinosaurRidge
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Large dinosaur mating 'dance arena' discovered in Colorado
Researchers have discovered evidence of one of the largest dinosaur mating "dance arenas" in present-day Colorado. Previous studies have identified a couple of "dinosaur lek" areas -- where male dinosaurs likely congregated to perform courtship displays for females, primarily for the purpose of finding a mate -- at Dinosaur Ridge, 20 miles west of Denver. However, using high-resolution drone photography and photogrammetry to make 3D models of the sandstone at Dinosaur Ridge, a team reexamined the area to see if there were more markings on the surface. MORE: Jurassic Park-ing lot: Dino fossil turns Denver museum into dig site What they found were dozens of lek traces tightly clustered together, suggesting the area was once a site to perform mating rituals, similar to some modern-day birds. "So, these trace fossils, we interpret them to be evidence of dinosaur courtship activities, just from kind of process of elimination," Caldwell Buntin, co-author of the study and a lecturer at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, told ABC News. Buntin said the team ruled out that these "scrapes" were caused by dinosaurs digging for food and water, from marking their territories or from colonial nesting, which is when animals build their nests close together in groups. "Basically, these were a lot of organisms that were coming together, performing some kind of activity that would include building some kind of nest to display to a female, and then maybe doing some kind of a dance or scraping activity, which generates a lot of the scrapes around the nest display structure," Buntin said. The scrapes belong to theropod dinosaurs, characterized by hollow bones and three toes and claws on each limb, which were alive during the Cretaceous period, between 145 million and 66 million years ago. It's not clear which species made the scrapes, but they were likely three to four feet high at the hip and were between 2.5 and 5 meters (8 to 16 feet) long, from the size of an emu to the size of an ostrich, according to Buntin. MORE: New horned dinosaur species discovered 'largest and most ornate' of its kind ever found There's a "spectrum of different scrapes," according to Buntin. Some are simple, shallow toe claw marks, indicating one or two scrapes from the left and right legs. There are also longer scrapes overprinting one another, resembling a wagon rut. Additionally, there are semicircular bowl-shaped marks "associated with a step backward" with a second set of scrapes "indicating a counterclockwise or a clockwise turn." Lastly, there are deep bowl-shaped marks with some shallow toe claw marks, Buntin said. In terms of behavior, Buntin said these dinosaurs most resemble that of banded plovers, which are small shorebirds. "Basically, they will dig out a nest display, basically a fake nest, to be able to show a female that, 'Hey, I'm a strong male. I can dig this. I can make a good, strong place for you to lay your eggs,'" Buntin said. "And then when a female comes to visit, they'll perform a dance which consists of kind of bowing, bobbing, raising their wings out, creating some scratches around the sides of that display nest." The authors emphasized that the site is public, meaning anybody can visit and see the scrapes for themselves compared to other scrap sites, which are on federally protected land. "It does really make it a very, very unique site, because not only does it have this amazing like type behavior displayed, but it also is so accessible for lots of people to be able to see it and understand better about the behavior of these wonderful animals that we can see now," Neffra Matthews, study co-author and former employee of the Bureau of Land Management, told ABC News.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Dino disco: 100-million-year-old giant courtship arena discovered in Colorado
At Dinosaur Ridge, researchers uncovered a remarkable and unusual site where dinosaurs gathered and performed mating dances over 100 million years ago—and it might be the largest 'lekking' area ever found. A team of paleontologists recently published their groundbreaking discovery of possibly one of the most significant mating sites from the dinosaur age. 'Lekking' refers to the elaborate mating dances that male dinosaurs would present to females. Today, some modern birds carry on this ancient tradition as descendants of the dinosaurs. In these displays, males engaged in energetic movements while females observed and selected a partner based on the performance. Researchers had previously noted the existence of five fossilized scrape marks at Dinosaur Ridge. After a closer investigation, however, they discovered much more than a few traces of this ritual. Aerial images revealed 35 marks made by different dinosaurs, making this former wetland home to one of the largest mating destinations in the ancient world. Once upon a time, 100 million years ago, many species walked through this former wetland, such as duck-billed hadrosaurs and ostrich-like herbivores. They left track marks in the soft Earth. Nearby, researchers discovered that they marked solid rock on a slope with a more dynamic set of traces, suggesting they began their mating rituals here. Paleontologists gathered aerial images of the site, which is, in a humorous twist of fate, closed to foot traffic to preserve and protect the track marks. They did not expect to uncover what appeared to be a space more like a dance club where dinosaurs would gather and dance, hoping to secure a mate. Dr. Caldwell Buntin of Old Dominion University, the study's lead author, told IFLScience that Martin Lockley, who first identified the trace fossils, determined they were likely related to mating displays after ruling out other possibilities such as nesting, foraging, territorial marking, or water-seeking behavior. Buntin and his team wanted to evaluate the validity of Lockley's findings that these were, in fact, traces of a mating dance using a data-driven approach. High-resolution drone imagery revealed 35 Ostendichnus, the scientific name for this specific type of claw marks associated with the dance of sex, according to the study. Buntin told Science that he believed Ornithomimids, or ostrichlike herbivores, and Acrocanthosaurus, which looks like a both used this sacred ground to populate their species. These markings—bowl-shaped and long and thin as if the dinosaurs kicked back their feet—were clustered together at different layers of the rock. Researchers understood that the element of time was present. These dinosaurs returned to this site over generations to put themselves out there—to attract a female. 'These traces were generated by backward kicking movements repeated by both the left and right foot,' Buntin said. In interpreting the choreography, researchers understood that the dinosaurs turned clockwise and scraped their claws through the sand. The circular markings suggest that, later, they might have nested here. Scientists have only found three lekking sites worldwide. Already a rare discovery, the site at Dinosaur Ridge might be 'the clearest case yet of a dinosaur display arena,' according to Amy Atwater, the site's director of paleontology. Buntin told Science that future work might require the state of Colorado to allow researchers to visit it, so they can study the traces of mating up close, as they still cannot make any definitive statements as to who these markings belong to. Nonetheless, some of it is open to the public, so dinosaur lovers can visit one of the world's only and most popular hiking sites. This site stands to contribute to the field and provide new insights into the ancient beasts that once ruled the Earth—the dinosaurs. The discovery of 35 scrape sites offers new insight into dinosaur courtship, showing they likely performed display behaviors to attract mates. The study was published in the journal Cretaceous Research.
