Rather than flight, what do scientists think feathers initially evolved for?

Many Bird ancestors like dinosaurs originally had these feathers even tho they didn't fly. Bird feathers have originally been thought to be used for mate attraction or even insulation. Modern birds have many different types of feathers!

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Explanation:

Their analysis, published in the journal Nature, showed that contour feathers (outermost feathers that are important for flight) were already present in flightless dinosaurs and that the plumage within different body regions varied widely between species — these findings suggests contour feathers likely initially ..

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the correct answer is d