Author Topic: Scientists reconstruct the mating call of 165 M year old cricket  (Read 5651 times)

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Offline gyeonghwa

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Scientists reconstruct the mating call of 165 M year old cricket
« on: February 07, 2012, 11:36:24 am »
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/feb/06/mating-call-extinct-bush-cricket

Quote
A love song that carried on the wind through the ancient forests of the late Jurassic has been reconstructed by scientists in Britain.

Researchers pieced together the staccato mating call of the long-gone creature, a distant relative of the modern bush-cricket, from fossilised remains unearthed in Mongolia.

The insect's body and wings were preserved in such exquisite detail that specialists in bioacoustics at Bristol University could measure the parts used to produce mating calls and recreate the sounds. The cricket, Archaboilus musicus, lived 165m years ago, when much of northwest China was a sparse forest of coniferous evergreens and giant ferns. "This is one of the oldest mating calls ever reconstructed from a fossil," lead researcher Fernando Montealegre Zapata told the Guardian.
That may be the single gayest thing I have ever read on this board. Or the old one. ;)

Offline Lithp

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Re: Scientists reconstruct the mating call of 165 M year old cricket
« Reply #1 on: February 07, 2012, 02:11:08 pm »
That's not really a "mating cell," is it? It'd be like calling a cell in the chest or thighs a mating cell.

No less interesting, but dramatically different implications. Bad reporters. Bad. No dinner for you.

Offline Jack Mann

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Re: Scientists reconstruct the mating call of 165 M year old cricket
« Reply #2 on: February 07, 2012, 03:38:56 pm »
Mating call, not mating cell.  We're assuming it's a mating call based on the behavior of living crickets.  Since all known crickets with these structures use them for that purpose, in that way, it's not a bad assumption to think that this is how the extinct cricket used its equipment.
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Offline Shane for Wax

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Re: Scientists reconstruct the mating call of 165 M year old cricket
« Reply #3 on: February 07, 2012, 03:45:46 pm »
Yay for crickets.

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Offline Lithp

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Re: Scientists reconstruct the mating call of 165 M year old cricket
« Reply #4 on: February 07, 2012, 03:49:48 pm »
I still put the blame on the reporters, for not choosing a word I wouldn't screw up.

Mostly out of narcissism.

Offline The Right Honourable Mlle Antéchrist

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Re: Scientists reconstruct the mating call of 165 M year old cricket
« Reply #5 on: February 07, 2012, 04:27:37 pm »
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha best day ever.
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Offline Old Viking

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Re: Scientists reconstruct the mating call of 165 M year old cricket
« Reply #6 on: February 07, 2012, 08:21:41 pm »
That's almost older than "What's your sign?"
I am an old man, and I've seen many problems, most of which never happened.

Offline Random Gal

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Re: Scientists reconstruct the mating call of 165 M year old cricket
« Reply #7 on: February 07, 2012, 10:04:46 pm »
Now we know what filled the awkward silences in dinosaur conversation.