article_snippet.sent: Examples include the fans of peacocks, the tall crests of roosters or the long tail feathers of some birds of paradise, which are used to attract and court mates.
article_snippet.sent: The research team believe that the males may have had the larger, broader plates for use in mating displays while the females had the sharper taller plates, that may have helped to discourage unwanted attention or predators.
article_snippet.sent: Evan Saitta, who conducted the work at the University of Bristol, said: 'As males typically invest more in Evan Saitta, who conducted the work at the University of Bristol ornamentation, the larger, wide plates likely came from males. '
article_snippet.sent: These broad plates would have provided a great display surface to attract mates. '
article_snippet.sent: These broad plates might have functioned as prickly predator deterrents in females.'
article_snippet.sent: Along with its bony back, its also had large spikes on its tail that are thought to have been for defence or fights with rivals.
article_snippet.sent: This could have acted as a warning to predator or being used as a way of attracting attention of the opposite sex.
article_snippet.sent: Some had large crests or nose horns that may have been sexual features.
highlights_snippet.sent: Palaeontologists say the plates could have been used to help attract a mate .