An international team of researchers has reconstructed the acoustic signals of insects that lived about 165 million years ago, using fossilized wing fragments discovered in China. The study, which combined laser imaging, computer modeling, and artificial intelligence, offers a rare glimpse into the soundscape of the Jurassic period and sheds light on the early evolution of acoustic communication in insects.
The fossils belong to relatives of modern crickets and katydids, insects known for producing species-specific calls by rubbing specialized wing structures together, a behavior called stridulation. By analyzing the preserved wing veins and the microscopic features that would have formed the sound-producing apparatus, the scientists were able to infer the frequency and pattern of the calls these ancient insects likely made.
According to the research team, the reconstructed sounds are low-frequency tones, quite different from the higher-pitched chirps of many living crickets and katydids. This suggests that the earliest forms of insect acoustic communication may have been simpler and less varied than what is heard in modern ecosystems. The findings also indicate that these Jurassic insects used sound for purposes similar to their modern descendants, likely including attracting mates or signaling their presence to others of their kind.
The use of artificial intelligence was central to the reconstruction. The researchers trained algorithms on the wing structures of living species with known calls, allowing the models to predict the acoustic output of the fossilized wings based on their physical characteristics. This approach, combined with computer simulations of how the wings would have vibrated, produced the estimated sounds.
Fossilized insect wings from the Jurassic are relatively rare, and soft tissues that would directly preserve sound-producing organs are almost never found. The wing fragments used in this study, however, retained enough detail in their venation and surface texture to serve as a reliable basis for the acoustic reconstruction. The researchers noted that this method could be applied to other fossil insects, potentially opening a new window into the sensory world of ancient ecosystems.
The study adds to a growing body of research using modern computational tools to extract behavioral information from the fossil record. While the exact sounds produced by these insects cannot be known with absolute certainty, the reconstructions provide a scientifically grounded estimate of their acoustic repertoire. The work also highlights the evolutionary continuity of sound production in insects, a trait that has persisted for hundreds of millions of years.
The findings were published in a scientific journal and have drawn attention from paleontologists and biologists interested in the origins of animal communication. The researchers emphasize that their reconstruction is a model based on available evidence, not a direct recording, but it represents a significant step toward understanding how ancient insects interacted with their environment and with each other.
