Unlocking the Past: How Ancient Voice Boxes Help Us Imagine Dinosaur Sounds

Movies often portray dinosaurs as fearsome roars, but new research suggests they likely chirped like birds. A remarkable fossil, complete with a voice box, reveals insights into how one specific dinosaur might have communicated.

A team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences uncovered a nearly complete skeleton of a new dinosaur species in northeastern China. This two-legged herbivore, named Pulaosaurus qinglong, measures about 72 centimeters (2.4 feet) long. Its name comes from Pulao, a small dragon from Chinese mythology known for its loud cries.

What makes Pulaosaurus special is the well-preserved fossil. Not only are many bones intact, but parts of the larynx are also present—something rarely found in dinosaur fossils—along with traces of its last meal visible in its gut.

Experts note that the larynx structure in Pulaosaurus resembles that of modern birds. This suggests the dinosaur could have used a variety of chirps and calls to communicate. However, due to some uncertainties about its jaw structure, precise sounds remain elusive. The study emphasizes that understanding dinosaur vocalizations requires more research.

Finding a fossilized larynx is exceptionally rare; this is only the second instance identified, the first being from an armored ankylosaur called Pinacosaurus. Interestingly, these two species are distantly related, separated by about 90 million years of evolution. This raises questions about whether similar larynx structures were common among other dinosaurs.

Researchers believe that the fragility of these structures may explain their scarcity in the fossil record. They urge a re-examination of vocal anatomy in non-avian dinosaurs to improve our understanding. Perhaps future discoveries will help us hear the true sounds of these ancient creatures.

The findings were published in the journal PeerJ. This research adds a fascinating layer to our knowledge of dinosaurs and how they might have interacted in their environments.

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