A bucktoothed, feathered creature resembling Rod Hull’s Emu has been identified as one of the first dinosaurs to begin the evolution into birds.

The dinosaur had four long tail feathers, which indicate that the ancestors of birds indulged in peacock-like courtship displays long before they learnt to fly.

Researchers, who named the “bizarre” dinosaur Epidexipteryx hui, dated it to between 152 million and 168 million years ago, in the Jurassic period, though they said that it could be considerably older.

The Chinese scientists who discovered the fossil found that it shared characteristics both with primitive birds and dinosaurs, indicating that it represented a stage in evolution between the ancient reptiles and modern avians. Analysis of the fossil, found in Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, suggested that the dinosaur was flightless and would have scampered along on its hind legs. Its body, estimated to have weighed 160g (5½oz), was the size of a pigeon and the shape of its claws suggested that it was a ground feeder.

Among the biggest surprises for the research team were long ribbon-like tail feathers, suggesting that the creature was male. Similar feathers in modern birds are used ornamentally. Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing wrote in the journal Nature: “Ornamental plumage is used to send signals essential to a wide range of avian behaviour patterns, particularly relating to courtship. Experiments have shown that, in some species, males with long tail plumage attract more mates than short-tailed counterparts. It is highly probable that the [elongated tail feathers] of Epidexipteryx similarly had display as their primary function.”

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