HOME | DD

Description
A male Ubirajara takes a short, peeky period from its rest to stay aware of its surroundings.

Ubirajara jubatus was an early Cretaceous compsognathid dinosaur that inhabited what is now modern Brazil. The species' most striking features include a set of unusually long shoulder feathers, resembling those of the Wallace's standardwing. It is hypothesized that the dinosaur could raise and lower these feathers at will, and so could have been used as display and courtship structures. The discovery has greatly broadened the potential integumentary horizons of theropod dinosaurs, particularly regarding the complexity of their filamentous feathers. However, the recent description of the specimen has been stained with ethical controversy due to many claims that the holotype was illegally smuggled from Brazil to the German museum it is currently housed in, and the result of many calls for the fossil's repatriation.

Plumage is inspired from the coloration research of a closely related compsognathid, Sinosauropteryx, that sported rufous feathers on its body and a striped tail similar to that of a red panda. Speaking of, the mammalian positioning and rendition of the tail in the reconstruction is speculative, as I am aware of the stiff caudal structure that is characteristic of tetanurans that may make this somewhat impossible. The resting posture that is depicted here is derived from fossil evidence in the Mei long holotype, and the roosting behavior of modern birds.

You can now also follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/lans_snows

Description
A male Ubirajara takes a short, peeky period from its rest to stay aware of its surroundings.

Ubirajara jubatus was an early Cretaceous compsognathid dinosaur that inhabited what is now modern Brazil. The species' most striking features include a set of unusually long shoulder feathers, resembling those of the Wallace's standardwing. It is hypothesized that the dinosaur could raise and lower these feathers at will, and so could have been used as display and courtship structures. The discovery has greatly broadened the potential integumentary horizons of theropod dinosaurs, particularly regarding the complexity of their filamentous feathers. However, the recent description of the specimen has been stained with ethical controversy due to many claims that the holotype was illegally smuggled from Brazil to the German museum it is currently housed in, and the result of many calls for the fossil's repatriation.

Plumage is inspired from the coloration research of a closely related compsognathid, Sinosauropteryx, that sported rufous feathers on its body and a striped tail similar to that of a red panda. Speaking of, the mammalian positioning and rendition of the tail in the reconstruction is speculative, as I am aware of the stiff caudal structure that is characteristic of tetanurans that may make this somewhat impossible. The resting posture that is depicted here is derived from fossil evidence in the Mei long holotype, and the roosting behavior of modern birds.

You can now also follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/lans_snows