Owner Comments:
When one thinks about theropod dinosaurs, typically a vicious predator comes to mind, but this coin shows a different side to modern dinosaurs. I'm not certain of the exact species of dove represented on this coin, but a little about doves anyhow.
Doves have long been a symbol of peace and tranquility. The dove and pigeon family is the Columbidae, and includes over 300 species so this coin is going to be tough to get specific with. The name dove tends to refer to the smaller members of the family, while pigeons are the larger members. All members of this family have relatively small heads and bills with short legs on a robust body with large wings, giving them a unique profile and appearance among modern dinosaurs. The fossil record for this group goes back to the Miocene, which lasted from 23.3 to 15.97 million years ago.
Members of this family vary greatly in size. The largest member is the turkey-sized Crowned Pigeon and the smallest are the ground doves, which are the size of the House Sparrow. The Columbidae also have a unique feature in that they lack gall bladders, but secrete gall directly in the gut. They have a near global distribution, living in all areas aside from the Sahara Desert, the high Arctic and the Antarctic. This wide range of habitats as well as high adaptability have led feral pigeons, descendants of domesticated doves and pigeons, to becoming a major avian pest in many urban areas.
This coin shows a mated pair in a nest with eggs. Many species in this family, as with many other species of avians, mate for life and have complex child rearing behaviors. These same types of complex child-rearing and nesting behaviors seem to have been the norm with many non-avian theropods during the Mesozoic Era as well. One interesting feature of this family is the use of crop milk to feed their young. Crop milk is a protein rich secretion made in the bird's crop, an enlargement of the upper esophagus otherwise used to store food. This crop milk bears little resemblance to mammalian milk, being much thicker. Caring for the young, known as squabs in this family, is a job undertaken by both parents. Depending on the species, the young leave the nest in 7 to 28 days.
I love this coin, which was a gift from my girlfriend, because it shows modern dinosaurs exhibiting nesting behavior, which is a distinctive trait among all theropod families, and is one of the major behavioral links which allowed scientists to determine that our feathered friends are actually modern dinosaurs.