"Robotic Dinosaur Reveals How Feathers Helped Dinosaurs Hunt Prey"

Biologists propose the "flush-pursue hypothesis," suggesting that small dinosaurs with proto-wings may have used their feathers on forelimbs and tails to visually flush out hiding prey and pursue them, similar to the foraging strategy employed by some birds. This idea is rooted in detailed field-ornithological studies and neurobiological research, and was presented in a recent scientific collaboration's paper published in Scientific Reports. The hypothesis provides a new perspective on the potential functions of feathers in the ancestors of birds.