Book 5, Question 17
Cool Crests! Why Did Some Dinosaurs Have Crests and Sails?
Some dinosaurs had crests on their heads or tall sails on their backs. Scientists think they may have been used for showing off and for recognizing others of the same kind. Some crests might even have helped make sounds. Fossils give clues, but the full answer is still being explored.
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 5
More fun facts
- Parasaurolophus had a long, curved tube sticking out from the back of its head.
- Its crest was hollow, with tubes inside separated by thin walls of bone.
- In 1933, one scientist guessed the crest might be a snorkel or an air tank.
- Dilophosaurus means "double-crested lizard." It had two thin, bony crests from its snout to behind its eyes.
- In the flying reptile Pteranodon, bigger animals had extra-large crests for their size, a clue that crests helped attract mates.
- A tiny ancient reptile called Mirasaura had a colorful, fan-like sail on its back, unlike anything seen before in a land reptile.
Sources: Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, National Geographic Kids, Smithsonian Magazine
Questions kids ask
What were dinosaur crests for?
Scientists are still not sure. Ideas have ranged from snorkels to keeping cool to showing off to mates.