An interesting study emerges from China where key data is thrown that would help us to have a clearer picture of what the soundscape of our planet was like in the age of the dinosaurs.
A few months ago we witnessed how it went viral a video on TikTok with relative bases in a scientific investigation where the contrast of the sounds of the dinosaurs in the cinema was compared against the real sound.
One of the most striking points of said material is that the sound of the T-Rex, the velociraptor and other fearsome species actually somewhat resembled that of various species of birds.
With the advancement of science and research around that period, it has been possible to reach the conclusion that both species would have many elements in common, especially in how they sound.
A key factor for this has been the possibility of finding and analyzing in greater depth the fossilized remains of that period, which has given us robust clues, as well as greater certainties in that order.
And it is precisely in this field that a new and promising advance has emerged.
Scientists recreate the soundscape on Earth 160 million years ago
Since Eureka Alert share the story of researcher XU Chunpeng, from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
This scientist led an international team of paleontologists who detailed the most distinctive factors that could have distinguished the acoustic communication of the Mesozoic era.
The project in particular focused on the study of fossilized organs of grasshoppers from that time, where this and other similar species used the air to communicate over long distances for three general purposes:
- mating signals
- communication between males
- directional hearing
The study analyzes in depth the components of the first tympanic ears and the stridulatory apparatus in grasshoppers from the age of the dinosaurs.
The fossils found and current technology allowed us to reconstruct the sound production system of these species and with them conclude these three essential and primitive communication activities.
The article proves at least theoretically that grasshoppers would have developed complex acoustic communication.
This opens the possibility of moving forward with this project, generating a detailed sound example of how the communication between these species would be heard.
