How Did Dinosaurs Communicate With Each Other?

All creatures communicate in a variety of ways. Some make sounds to signal to mates or scare predators off. Other animals use their body language and posture to show how they feel; most creatures mix verbal and non-verbal communication, which leads many of us to wonder how dinosaurs communicated with each other. Did they let out a fierce roar like we see in the movies? Did they make any sounds at all? We’ll delve into the rich information about dino communication.

They Made Sounds

In the movies, we always hear dinosaurs letting out an earth-shaking roar. However, many experts theorize this isn’t entirely accurate. In 2013, paleontologists found the fossil of a prehistoric bird—Vegavis—which had a vocalization organ known as a syrinx that birds and geese have.

The discovery of the syrinx in the Vegavis is noteworthy because it confirms birds are descendants of dinosaurs. However, we still don’t know when they developed a syrinx during their evolution. That said, it’s unlikely that prehistoric beasts let out open-mouthed roars as seen in movies. Dinosaurs may have growled or made other simple sounds, but we cannot be sure.

Their Bodily Features

Some scientists believe that dinosaurs may have used their feathers to communicate with one another. Aside from aerodynamics and keeping the beasts warm, feathers helped dinosaurs show off. This is another trait we see in birds; male birds show off their beautiful feathers to attract mates. A peacock is a great example of this behavior.

Features such as horns or frills may have helped dinos communicate their maturity. Once a dinosaur reached mating age, these physical features would help them express their dominance to other members within their species.

Body Language

Another way dinosaurs likely communicated with each other was through non-verbal cues, as shown by nearly all animals. Some modern bird species dance as displays of courtship, and prehistoric reptiles may have done the same. This body movement would show a desire to mate with another dinosaur.

Dinosaurs may have also stomped their feet or whipped their tail to communicate a message. If a Velociraptor was sneaking up on an Ankylosaurus, the latter might whip its spiked tail to say, “Back off!” The Ankylosaurus may have also done this with members of its own species during mating to scare off other suitors.

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