How did dinosaurs sound?

We have the chance to listen to the real sounds of dinosaurs in the 21st century .

How do you figure out what an extinct animal sounds like? This is a question that has puzzled evolutionary scientists for centuries. The answer, unsurprisingly, is based on their fossils.

A new research project has been launched to study Parasaurolophus , a unique type of duck-billed dinosaur that walked on its hind legs, stood about 5 metres tall, and had a large crest on its head.

Parasaurolophus dinosaurs could make a distinctive call based on the crest-like structure on their heads (Photo: Shutterstock).

According to paleontologists, this dinosaur produced sounds using a tube-like crest, which they nicknamed a "linophone" . This was actually a part that connected to the cavities in its skull.

By simulating the calls of the extinct animal from about 76.5 to 73 million years ago, the researchers created a physical model based on the resonance chamber in the skull of the Parasaurolophus species.

They then excited it with a small speaker, allowing the microphone to pick up frequency data from the entire system. Experimental results showed that the model was capable of amplifying a range of frequencies from 581 Hz, 827 Hz, and 1056 Hz, which are within the range of human hearing.

"The linophone simulator is based on a mathematical model, which is used to verify the model experimentally," said Hongjun Lin, a researcher from New York University (USA).

Models and research on the sound characteristics emitted by the dinosaur Parasaurolophus were presented at the 187th Virtual Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, held on November 22.

Hongjun Lin shared that his ultimate goal is to recreate the sounds of Parasaurolophus, and hopes that the project will inspire scientists to solve the mystery of the dinosaur sound world.

He also said that the dinosaur sounds we hear in movies are actually just a mixture of many different sounds , such as the sounds turtles make when they mate, or the "purr" sound made by cats.

The filmmakers then layered them and varied the speeds to create unique sounds. Some of the productions left their own highlights, such as the roar of the Tyrannosaurus.