Tag Archives: behaviors

The Ancient “Dance Floor” Unveils Dinosaur Courtship Behaviors

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Approximately 100 million years ago, dinosaurs might have congregated to engage in a mating dance in a tidal area near Denver, Colorado. Recent research published in Cretaceous Research indicates that numerous intriguing scrape marks found in the stones of Colorado’s renowned dinosaur ridges are identified as Leks, potentially the largest known dinosaur mating display sites.

“Leks, or ‘Keeping Arena,’ refers to a location where numerous individuals come together to showcase courtship behaviors to attract mates,” stated Dr. Caldwell Bunting, the lead author of the study, in a conversation with BBC Science Focus.

Many contemporary birds, including knots and feathers—descendants of dinosaurs—exhibit similar behaviors, noted Bunting.

The hypothesis that dinosaurs engaged in such rituals was initially suggested by paleontologist Dr. Martin Lockley, who had observed comparable marks in the vicinity. This new study significantly strengthens that hypothesis, uncovering over 30 different scrape marks across various sediment layers.

These scratches found on Colorado’s dinosaur ridges may have been created during mating displays akin to those of modern birds. – Getty

The marks can be classified into two types: broad, shallow bowl-like impressions and narrow scrapes. It appears many were produced during movements involving rotation and kicking actions by both feet.

Drone imagery from the 2019 US Geological Survey and subsequent follow-up surveys enabled the team to map the site accurately, as access to the area was strictly controlled.

“This was a remarkable discovery,” remarked Bunting, who collaborated with Lockley until his passing in 2023.

“Our excitement was palpable. Upon reviewing the drone footage, we immediately spotted scuffs covering the entire screen. It truly felt like a ‘Eureka!’ moment for me.”

While the exact species responsible for these markings remains uncertain, Bunting speculates that based on nearby fossil footprints, Acrocanthosaurus—a predator similar to T. Rex—and ostrich-like ornithomimids could be possible contenders.

Bunting argues that it’s improbable T. Rex would engage in similar courtship behaviors, as such rituals necessitate complex social dynamics likely associated with group herding and movement.

Bunting aims to revisit other possible LEK sites in western Colorado to reassess initial interpretations of the scuff marks found there.

If verified, these marks could provide significant insights into the reproductive behaviors of dinosaurs, revealing not only their mating practices but also their competition for partners.

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About our experts

Dr. Caldwell Bunting is an alumnus of Old Dominion University. His research has appeared in journals such as Sedimentary Geology and Cretaceous Research.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Bonobos are aware of their actions and behaviors

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Kanji, one of the three POW Bonovo tested for mental abilities in research

Initiative of an ape

Bonobo immediately helps the signs of being able to guess the mental state of others who do not know what they know.

Ability to think about what others are thinking, Heart theoryThis is an important skill to make humans navigate the world of society. It can recognize that someone holds different beliefs and perspectives for ourselves and support the ability to fully understand and support others.

The question of whether our closest living parent, Relative, has the theory of heart has been discussed for decades. Somehow Mixed resultNon -humans, a great ape seem to have some aspects of this ability, suggesting that it is evolved in older than once considered. For example, a wild chimpanzee that is fake but sees nearby snakes Alert group member They know they haven’t seen it yet.

However, he says that he has missed the clear evidence from the controlled settings that the primates can track different perspectives and act based on them. Luke Town Row At Johns Hopkins University in Maryland.

To investigate this, with Townload Christopher CrupenierAt Johns Hopkins University, three male Bonobos at the APE Initia Chib Research Center in Iowa will identify the ignorance of the people who are trying to cooperate and show them to them to solve the task. I tested.

The table between Bonobo and the experiments had three upward plastic cups. The second researcher put a barrier between the experiments and the cup, and hid a snack like a juicy grape under one of them.

In one version of the experiment, “Knowledge Conditions”, the experiments were able to see where the treatment was placed in the barrier window. In the “ignorant state”, their views were completely blocked. When the experimental finds food, they give it to Bonobo and provide the motivation for the apes to share what they know.

TOWNROW and KRUPENYE examined whether the apes were pointing to the cup, and how sharp they were after the barriers were removed 24 times under each condition.

On average, they discovered that Bonobo had a less time to point in 1.5 seconds, and was pointed out in about 20 % of the exams in ignorance. “This indicates that you can actually take action when you realize that someone has a different perspective,” Krupenye says. He added that BONOBOS seems to understand the characteristics of other people who believe that researchers do not understand historically.

This simple but powerful research is experimentally supported by the results of an existing survey from wild apes. Zanna Clay At Darlam University in Britain. However, she warns that research animals have been raised in a human -oriented environment, and the survey results may not be applied to all bonovos. However, she added that it does not impair the result of the capacity.

Certainly, finding this ability with these three bonovos indicates that the potential exists in their biology, and may be the same for our common ancestors. It indicates that it is expensive, says Kurpenier.

“Our ancient human parent Relative also has these abilities and suggests that they can use them to strengthen their cooperation and coordination.” Laura Lewis At California University Berkeley. “By understanding that someone is ignorant, our ancestors use these abilities to communicate more effectively with social partners, especially for evolutionary information, such as food places. , I was able to adjust.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Microbiologists find that Antarctic archaea exhibit parasitic behaviors

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According to a new study Candidatus Nanohaloarchaeum AntarcticusThe DPANN archaeon, which lives in a highly saline Antarctic lake called Deep Lake, behaves like a parasitic predator, rapidly killing its host. Harolblum Luxpro Fundy.

What we see under an electron microscope Candidatus Nanohaloarchaeum antarctica attached to the host, Harolblum Luxpro FundyImage courtesy of Joshua N. Hamm.

“Archaea are one of three lineages of life, along with bacteria and eukaryotes (organisms whose cells have a membrane-enclosed nucleus, such as plants and animals),” said Dr Yan Liao, a microbiologist at the University of Technology Sydney.

“They are widespread and play a vital role in supporting Earth's ecosystems.”

“Compared to other lineages, archaea are less studied and understood. However, they provide clues about the evolution of life on Earth and the possible existence of life on other planets.”

“Its unique biochemistry also holds promising applications in biotechnology and bioremediation.”

“They have been found breeding in highly acidic boiling hot springs, deep-sea hydrothermal vents with temperatures well over 100 degrees, highly saline waters like the Dead Sea, and even in Antarctica.”

Candidatus Nanohaloarchaeum antarcticus was collected from a cold, saline, deep lake in Antarctica by Professor Riccardo Cavicchioli of the University of New South Wales.

This species belongs to a group called DPANN archaea, which are much smaller than other archaea, have very small genomes and limited metabolic capabilities.

Studies have revealed that they depend on host microorganisms, particularly other archaea, for survival.

“This is the first time this aggressive behaviour has been observed in archaea,” said Dr Joshua Hamm, a microbiologist at the Royal Netherlands Institute for Marine Research.

“In many ways, its activity resembles some viruses, leading us to reassess its ecological role in the Antarctic environment.”

DPANN archaea have rarely been cultivated in the laboratory, and the authors developed novel techniques, including unique sample staining, intravital fluorescence microscopy, and electron microscopy, to visualize the interior of host cells and follow the interactions between DPANN archaea and their hosts.

They stained the host archaea. Harolblum Luxpro Fundyand Candidatus Nanohaloarchaeum antarcticus, which has a non-cytotoxic dye that glows in various colors when exposed to laser light.

“This makes it possible to watch organisms together over long periods of time and identify cells by color,” Dr Liao said.

“We observed how the DPANN parasite attached and migrated inside the host cell, causing the host cell to lyse and burst.”

“Predators play a vital role in ecosystems because they not only provide food for themselves by killing their hosts, but also make the remains of the host's cells available as food for other organisms,” said Dr Ian Duggin, a microbiologist at the University of Technology Sydney.

“This allows other microbes to proliferate and prevents the host organism from storing nutrients.”

“The DPANN archaea we studied appear to play a much more important role in ecosystems than has been realized.”

“The parasitic or infectious lifestyle of these archaea may be common.”

of result Published in a journal Nature Communications.

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JN Ham others2024. Parasitic life of archaeal symbionts. Nat Community 15, 6449; doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-49962-y

Source: www.sci.news