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Scientists Found a 121-Million-Year-Old Bird That Was Basically Peacocking Before Peacocking Existed

The newly identified bird species had dramatic display feathers long before humans invented bad bar outfits.

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The term “peacocking” caught on over the last couple of decades as one of those pickup-artist concepts that’s just as embarrassing to explain as it is to do. Some guy walks into a bar wearing a neon zebra-print jacket and a fur hat so people notice him. Intrigued by this alien freak who just walked in, hoping they can be the lucky one who gets to learn who this mysterious creature truly is, deep down in their soul, the theory goes that some will flock to this attention seeker, their wild outfit acting as a venue-wide icebreaker.

That strategy is way older than previously thought. Researchers, publishing their findings in PLOS One, recently analyzed........

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