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Introduction

Nature Neuroscience 12, 677 (1 June 2009) | doi:10.1038/nn0609-677

Focus on hearing

Ears capable of picking up airborne sounds appear to have evolved separately and repeatedly among the ancestors of modern mammals, birds, frogs, turtles and lizards; being able to hear is pretty important for the survival of animals in many different environments. In humans, hearing is also fundamental for language.