Animals respond to sounds made by plants

Researchers at Tel Aviv University have discovered that animals can hear and respond to sounds emitted by plants — a breakthrough that suggests a hidden communication system in nature, reports zamin.uz.

. In their experiment, female moths avoided laying eggs on tomato plants that produced distress sounds. These sounds, undetectable to the human ear, signaled that the plant was unhealthy — and the insects reacted accordingly.

. The scientists emphasize that while humans cannot hear these frequencies, many insects, bats, and some mammals can detect them.

. "This is the first time an animal has been observed responding to a sound made by a plant," said Professor Yossi Yovel of Tel Aviv University.

. He suggested that other animals might use these signals to decide whether to pollinate, eat, or shelter inside a plant.

. The study was designed to eliminate other variables — confirming that the moths were reacting solely to sound, not the plant’s appearance or scent.

. Researchers now plan to explore what kinds of sounds different plant species make and whether other animals respond in similar ways.

. Professor Lilach Hadany, also from Tel Aviv University, raised the exciting possibility that plants might be communicating with each other through sound — perhaps warning nearby plants about drought or damage.

. She clarified that plants are not sentient: their sounds are physical vibrations caused by environmental stress like dehydration or injury.

. Still, if other organisms benefit from these sounds, this suggests a kind of evolutionary cooperation. Animals may have developed better hearing, while plants may have adapted to produce more distinct signals.

. The study focused on female moths because they typically lay eggs on tomato plants. Healthy plants provide better nutrition for larvae. When the moths heard distress signals from stressed plants, they avoided them entirely.

. This research highlights a complex and previously unseen network of acoustic communication in nature — one that humans are just beginning to discover.

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