Researchers Revive the Ancient Chirps of Jurassic Insects: Experience the Soundscape from 165 Million Years Ago

Researchers Recreate Sounds of Jurassic Insects Using AI and Fossils

By: Carlyn Kranking | Associate Web Editor, Science
Published on: September 3, 2026

Amid the echoes of dinosaurs, Jurassic forests were filled with the chirping of cricket-like insects, some emitting sounds too high for human ears. A team of scientists has reproduced these extinct insects’ sounds from 165-million-year-old fossils by analyzing wing structures with artificial intelligence. Their findings, published on August 25 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, challenge existing theories about insect sound evolution.

Thorin Jonsson, a bioacoustician at the University of Graz, Austria, noted that the Jurassic soundscape was “acoustically far richer” than previously believed.

Reconstructing the Past

While physical sounds from the Jurassic are lost to time, insect fossils hold vital clues. Unlike the vocal organs of dinosaurs, insects’ wings can endure as fossils. The study focused on 20 Jurassic insect fossils, found in Inner Mongolia, comprising nine species related to crickets and katydids.

To recreate the sounds, the team examined the structural details of the wings, including the number and spacing of ridges which influence pitch and rhythm. By integrating modern insect sound mechanics with AI modeling, they simulated how these prehistoric wings would vibrate.

Findings and Implications

The results indicated that most of the insects produced low-frequency calls similar to today’s crickets, but one species generated ultrasonic chirps beyond the human hearing range. Importantly, these findings suggest that predation by bats may not be the sole reason for the evolution of ultrasonic calls, as this species predated bats by millions of years.

Instead, the research points to broader predatory pressures from both mammals and non-mammals leading crickets to develop higher-pitched sounds, aiding in mate attraction while minimizing predator risks.

Future Directions

This pioneering study lays groundwork for further explorations into other prehistoric insect sounds. As researcher Edmund Jarzembowski observed, fossil analysis could potentially unlock an entire “paleo-orchestra” of ancient life.

The study opens avenues for examining insect songs from various species and enriching our understanding of ancient ecosystems.

Related Images

Scientists studied 20 fossils from nine species connected to katydids and crickets.

The researchers studied 20 insect fossils discovered in Inner Mongolia, China.

For more insights on this topic, stay tuned for ongoing updates in evolutionary biology and paleontology!