Dinosaur Ridge in Colorado has been identified as a “mating arena” where male theropods gathered 100 million years ago to display their moves and attract females during the Cretaceous period. Researchers found a series of mating display scrapes on rocks at the site, which suggest that multiple individuals participated in this behavior.
The marks were left by small theropods, around the size of an ostrich, and indicate that they showed off by jabbing their claws deep into the sand, dragging their feet, and kicking up sand behind them. The animals had different moves, including walking backwards and moving side to side, which they would alternate between.
The discovery was made possible by drones capturing high-resolution images of the site, revealing 25 new scrapes on two surfaces at Dinosaur Ridge. This finding suggests that the ridge can be classified as a “display arena” or lek, where male dinosaurs would compete for females’ attention.
Similar behavior is seen in modern birds, such as greater sage-grouse, which perform elaborate displays to attract mates. The Cretaceous period’s Cenomanian age marks the beginning of this display arena at Dinosaur Ridge, dating back 100.5 million years ago.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/animals/dinosaurs/t-rex-relatives-moonwalked-to-attract-mates-newfound-dinosaur-mating-arena-suggests