The evolutionary puzzle of the mammalian ear

Wednesday, May 27, 2020 - 10:30 in Paleontology & Archaeology

The vertebrate ear is a remarkable structure. Tightly encapsulated within the densest bone of the skeleton, it comprises the smallest elements of the vertebrate skeleton (auditory ossicles) and gives rise to several different senses: balance, posture control, gaze stabilization, and hearing. Nowhere else in the vertebrate skeleton are different functional units packed so close together and jointly embedded in its skeletal environment, which also hampers the independent evolution of the ear components.

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