Sounds of the Past

Ever wonder what dinosaurs sounded like? So does Hongjun Lin, the creative mastermind behind the “Linophone.” This device, made of pipes, allows researchers to test mathematical models of resonance. Lin’s first application represents the resonance chambers of Parasaurolophus, a large-crested, duckbilled dinosaur. Once he refines the model, Lin plans to use fossil scans to reproduce the animal’s calls with greater accuracy. Based on the design of the dinosaur’s head crest, it likely uttered low-frequency sounds.

The effort to recreate the sounds of extinct animals speaks to more than scientific curiosity or our fascination with God’s creation. It displays our desire to see lost things recovered. Through imagination and technology, we are practicing the dominion mandate and may perhaps hear the calls of dinosaurs again.