Hear the world in the age of dinosaurs – a unique project by scientists (VIDEO)

Scientists have recreated the sounds of ancient insects from 165 million years ago using AI and analysis of wing structures. The study, published in PNAS, revealed that Jurassic acoustics were richer than previously thought, and one species, Sigmaboilus peregrinus, produced ultrasound, disproving the theory linking it to bats.

Scientists have recreated the sounds of ancient insects from 165 million years ago using artificial intelligence and detailed analysis of wing structures. The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, sheds light on the unexplored acoustics of the Jurassic period. The team discovered 20 fossilized insects with intact wings during excavations in Inner Mongolia, belonging to nine species of relatives of modern crickets and grasshoppers. Most prehistoric insects produced low-frequency pure tones around 5 kilohertz. The main discovery was the species Sigmaboilus peregrinus, capable of generating ultrasound in the range of 20 to 22 kilohertz, disproving the popular theory that ultrasonic abilities in insects arose from the need to defend against bats. Bioacoustician Thorin Jonsson from the University of Graz noted that the data opens a new perspective on the acoustics of the ancient planet. Independent expert Edmund Jarzembowski from the Natural History Museum in London emphasized that AI algorithms could help decipher the sounds of other prehistoric insect orders.