Dinosaurs May Have Chirped Like Birds Instead of Roaring, New Fossil Suggests
Contrary to popular belief fueled by movies, dinosaurs likely did not roar at their prey. Recent findings from a well-preserved fossil indicate that they may have chirped like birds instead.
A team of researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences unearthed the remains of a new dinosaur species in northeastern China. This herbivorous, two-legged dinosaur measuring 72 centimeters (2.4 feet) in length was named Pulaosaurus qinglong after Pulao, a mythical dragon from Chinese folklore known for its loud cries.
This particular dinosaur is one of the rare few for which we have insights into its vocal abilities. The fossil is remarkably well-preserved, with almost all of its bones intact, including structures in the larynx that resemble those found in modern birds.
The researchers suggest that Pulaosaurus could have communicated through intricate chirps and calls, similar to modern birds. However, due to mandible compression in the fossil, precise acoustic calculations cannot be made at this time.
Discovering a fossilized larynx in a dinosaur is exceptionally rare, with only one other instance documented in an armored ankylosaur called Pinacosaurus. Despite the evolutionary gap of 90 million years between these two dinosaurs, the similarity in larynx structure hints at a potential widespread trait among dinosaurs.
Why haven’t more fossilized larynx structures been found? The researchers suggest that either these delicate features do not fossilize frequently or that they are being misidentified as other throat components.
Further studies are needed to reassess vocal anatomy in non-avian dinosaurs to gain a deeper understanding of how dinosaurs may have sounded. With more examples, we may paint a clearer picture of the prehistoric world’s auditory landscape.
The research findings were published in the journal PeerJ.
