Dinosaurs Might Have Had Photoluminescent Skin, As Per A new Study

A team of researchers has elaborated a paper which argued that dinosaurs might have had skins that glowed in the dark, a trait that can be found in the case of some modern birds and reptiles.

The exciting trait is conferred by a phenomenon known as photoluminescence, which offers certain materials or skins the ability to absorb a specific light wavelength and releaser another one as a product. This also means that dinosaurs could have been perceived easily by other animals, which could see a new glow.

It is theorized that the light may have been released in the form of specific patterns or markings, as is the case for modern animals that have this feature. At this point, the exact purpose of the makings has remained elusive. One possibility infers that it could have been employed to underline the reproductive abilities of the species.

The new study on dinosaurs and their photoluminescent skin

Previous research has shown that dinosaurs loved to showcase their looks as their bodies featured beautiful crests, horns, frills, and other beauty marks that could make them more attractive for their possible mating partners. It is also thought that they had an excellent color vision and could perceive details that weren’t visible for other creatures.

A study that took place in 2018 showed that puffin bills could glow under UV light, and more than 180 known species can glow in the dark. The bones of some specific animals can also glow in the dark and are visible through the skin, attracting other animals which can perceive the UV light.

Some animals can also glow as a warning to potential predators, advertising the fact that they should be avoided. Others do it to attract prey or to send messages to other nearby specimens. UV can be found in the visible spectrum, but humans need to use special UV lights in dark spaces to perceive it.