Flying lizards use crests to appeal to their partners

British scientists say they have solved the mystery why ancient flying lizards grow crest on their heads.

Flying lizard with a bright and impressive yellow crest (Photo: BBC) A rare skull found in Brazil shows crests at the time of puberty, proving that it is used to attract attention. the opposite sex.

Experts at the University of Portsmouth said, flying lizards, dominating the sky at the time of the dinosaurs, flaunted jewelry on their heads to provoke their partners.

According to paleontologist Darren Naish, the crest is a sign of sexual maturity like a public tail to attract children.

"It is like a crest of a giant rooster with vivid colors and an impressive structure to show off. Maybe they keep shaking and shaking to attract their partners," Naish said.

The hypothesis is based on the skull of a newly discovered flying lizard, Tupuxuara in northeastern Brazil. It is a rare discovery because only a few specimens exist in the world and all belong to an adult animal.

Experts examined the skull and found another crest in the early teens. Instead of forming a large triangular crest that extends from the muzzle to the back of the head, it consists of two pieces. One piece retreated to the back of the head and the other was facing the muzzle. The frontal crest gradually grows back and re-merges once they reach puberty.

"This is an important finding because it has attached development to body maturity and sex related," Naish said. "This specimen is extremely rare and it is interesting to get more information about flying lizards."

MT