One of the most recognisable features which give the Predators their unique appearance, are the so-called “Dreadlocks”, also referred to as Dreads, Quills, or, my personal favourite "Predlocks".
These are hair-like appendages seen growing from the back and sides of a Yautja's head; their name comes from their similar appearance to the hairstyle of the same name worn by some Humans.
Depending on the individual, smaller versions of them can also be seen growing from the brow and facial areas, as well as on the shoulders, torso, arms, and legs.
They can also vary in length with some Predators having shoulder-length Dreads, and others measuring a couple of feet. And the Feral Predator from Prey had thinner Dreadlocks and more of them.
They are usually Black, but other Predators have been seen to have different colours,
such as the Falconer who had Brown ones, Berserker, who’s were Black with Red tips; and like Hair, they lose their pigment with age, as the Elders from Predator 2, and Alien VS Predator both had Grey Dreadlocks.
Small rings are commonly seen in them, which may signify which clan they come from, their ranking within the clan, or simply a form of jewellery for decoration, as Predators are known to do this with bones and other body parts taken from their prey.
Some Yautja have been seen wearing their Dreadlocks in different styles, notably Topknot, a Predator from the comics, Shaman from Predator 2, who had very long Dreads held in a clip, and in the AVP Extinction game, the Military Hydra and Blazer had them tied back in a ponytail, thought to be done in the same vein as Earth-based armed forces will shave the heads of their soldiers.
And in the game Predator Concrete Jungle, the captured Predators were seen to have their Dreadlocks cut off, likely for surgical reasons to give easier access to the brain, as Borgia Industries were turning them into cyborgs.
Also, the PredAlien Xenomorph caste will inherit the Dreadlocks from the host, as did the specimen seen in Aliens VS Predator Requiem.

There is some debate on whether they actually are hair, like on us Earth Mammals, or fleshy organs that serve a sensory function.
It’s not been explained outright, and there are good points for both arguments; there is not necessarily a “correct” answer, and they can differ across the various media forms they’re depicted in, from the movies, comic books, novelisations, and videogames.

Some sources suggest the Dreadlocks are not hair, but fleshy growths that provide the Predator with an additional sense, such as a nose, eyes, or ears all do; either to aid with detecting heat, or a different one entirely.
In the 1996 Comic Book Predator: Strange Roux, when the Yautja known as “The Gollywomp” had some of his Dreadlocks shot off, they were shown to bleed.
In one scene in Predators from 2010, we see a Predator skull which has holes for the Dreads to grow from, so perhaps they could be rooted into the brain itself.
And in 2018’s The Predator, the scientist character theorises the Dreadlocks seen on the Predator Dogs may be some sort of sensory receptors.

But, as for the possibility of them being the Predators version of hair; across the Predators body, numerous little examples of the dreads can be seen in the same places Humans can get facial and body hair, such as along the brow, the cheek and chin areas, shoulders, back, abdomen, and on the arms and legs.
They are seen to lose their pigment just like animal hair, as seen on older members of their species, and in the Concrete Jungle game, when some of the imprisoned Predators are seen with theirs cut off, they are not bleeding, but just appear to have been cut shorter like with hair, and with no detriment to their perception.
And finally, Stan Winston, who designed the creatures in the first and second movies, was known to refer to the Predator dreadlocks as "quills", apparently likening them to feathers or porcupine quills, suggesting this is what he saw them as being.
An interesting detail to note is that when creating the cloaking effect in the first two films, the creatures' dreadlocks tended to be ignored and were simply removed from the image; According to the team that worked on the effect, the reason for this was intentional, as it would have been too time-consuming to render each individual dreadlock using the technology of the time, and it was only seen to be done in a couple of shots; but in later films it was made easier with the use of CGI.

Make sure to let us all know what your thoughts are in the comments section. Which is your favourite explanation for them? Do you think they are hair, or sensory organs?
I personally always thought of them as being some sort of coarse hair that the Predators have, but the other explanation is an interesting one too.
Remember to like the video for all the time and effort I put into making it, and I’ll see you next time.

#predator #avp #prey

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