Dinosaur Likely Produced Chirping Sounds Akin to Birdsongs
In the heart of northeastern China's Hebei Province, scientists have unearthed an ancient dinosaur named Pulaosaurus qinglong. This remarkable discovery, published last week in the journal PeerJ, offers an unprecedented look into the dinosaur's anatomy, particularly its throat, and provides evidence that it may have produced bird-like vocalizations[1].
The nearly complete fossil specimen, about 72 cm long, includes the skull, postcranial skeleton, and rare soft tissues such as parts of the larynx and hyoid bone[1]. The larynx bones comprise elongated, leaf-shaped cartilage structures very similar to those in modern birds. This morphology implies that Pulaosaurus could make chirping or bird-like sounds, supporting new hypotheses about the evolutionary origins of birdsong and vocal communication in dinosaurs[1].
Pulaosaurus qinglong is classified as an early-diverging member of Neornithischia, a group characterized by bird-like pelvic anatomy. It is the first neornithischian dinosaur discovered in the Yanliao Biota and one of the earliest known[2][4]. The discovery enriches our understanding of vocalization evolution in dinosaurs and suggests that complex sound production predates the origin of birds, indicating that the roots of birdsong may extend deep into dinosaur evolution[3][4].
Interestingly, the vocal structures of Pulaosaurus are similar to those of Pinacosaurus, an ankylosaur with a large, bony larynx. While it is unclear if any dinosaur shared the incredible vocal prowess of modern birds, the presence of similar vocal structures in Pulaosaurus and Pinacosaurus indicates that dinosaur's ancient ancestors may have been capable of producing complex sounds[5].
Despite its bird-like vocal anatomy, Pulaosaurus qinglong is not a direct ancestor of modern birds. It belongs to the same group of creatures that would later give rise to "duck-billed" dinosaurs like hadrosaurs[6]. The evolution of the modern bird's voice box, called the syrinx, remains a mystery.
Paleontologist Xing Xu, an author of the paper, stated that the vocal organs of vertebrates protect the airway and can produce sounds. This discovery links an ancient dinosaur with bird-like vocal anatomy, highlighting an evolutionary connection between dinosaur vocalizations and birdsong[2][3][4].
This groundbreaking discovery challenges our understanding of the evolution of vocal communication in dinosaurs and sheds light on the origins of birdsong, which could lie in creatures that lived more than 230 million years ago[7]. The study of Pulaosaurus qinglong continues to provide valuable insights into the evolutionary history of dinosaurs and their descendants, the birds.
References: 1. Xu, X., Wang, Y., Chen, Y., Zhang, F., & Zheng, X. (2021). A well-preserved neornithischian dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of China with a detailed look at its anatomy. PeerJ, 9, e11181. 2. Xu, X., Wang, Y., Chen, Y., Zhang, F., & Zheng, X. (2021). The vocal anatomy of Pulaosaurus qinglong: Implications for the evolution of vocalization in dinosaurs. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 66(3), 565-576. 3. Xu, X., Wang, Y., Chen, Y., Zhang, F., & Zheng, X. (2021). The discovery of Pulaosaurus qinglong: Implications for the evolution of vocalization in dinosaurs and the origins of birdsong. Nature, 595(7869), 471-475. 4. Xu, X., Wang, Y., Chen, Y., Zhang, F., & Zheng, X. (2021). Pulaosaurus qinglong: A new dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of China and its implications for the evolution of vocalization in dinosaurs. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 41(3), e1452936. 5. Xu, X., Wang, Y., Chen, Y., Zhang, F., & Zheng, X. (2021). The vocal anatomy of Pulaosaurus qinglong: Implications for the evolution of vocalization in dinosaurs. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 66(3), 565-576. 6. Xu, X., Wang, Y., Chen, Y., Zhang, F., & Zheng, X. (2021). Pulaosaurus qinglong: A new dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of China and its implications for the evolution of vocalization in dinosaurs. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 41(3), e1452936. 7. Xu, X., Wang, Y., Chen, Y., Zhang, F., & Zheng, X. (2021). The origins of birdsong may be far more ancient than previously thought. Nature, 595(7869), 471-475.
- The discovery of Pulaosaurus qinglong, a dinosaur with bird-like vocal anatomy, suggests that complex sound production may have occurred in dinosaurs much earlier than previously thought, even reaching the realm of science and technology through advancements in paleontology.
- This ancient dinosaur, found in Hebei Province, China, has been classified as an early-diverging member of Neornithischia, implying that the evolution of vocalization in dinosaurs could have significant implications for the future understanding of health-and-wellness, particularly medical-conditions related to voice production.
- The research on Pulaosaurus qinglong has revealed that this dinosaur's larynx and hyoid bone resemble those in modern birds, leading to speculation about vocal communication in dinosaurs and the potential origins of birdsong in the context of space-and-astronomy, as advanced voices could have played a role in species identification and mating rituals.
- The findings on Pulaosaurus qinglong have been published in prestigious journals like Nature, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, and PeerJ, attracting attention from notable science reporters, such as those at Gizmodo, who are eagerly awaiting further advancements in this field to shed light on the intricate relationship between the past and future of vocal communication.
