Jurassic Insects Sing in Ultrasonic Tones, New Study Finds

A team reconstructed the calls of nine Jurassic cricket/katydid ancestors by analyzing fossilized wing structures, living relatives, wing mechanics, and using computer modeling to simulate their sounds. The result includes nine calls spanning audible and ultrasonic frequencies (one species, Sigmaboilus peregrinus, exceeds 20 kHz), revealing a complex Jurassic soundscape and suggesting insects used ultrasonic communication to create acoustic niches and possibly evade predators—challenging the idea that bats were the primary drivers of ultrasonic signals. The work, published in PNAS, also helped inform realistic Jurassic sound design for media like Netflix’s The Dinosaurs.