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Mammalian evolution

A jaw-dropping ear

Nature volume 472, pages 174–176 (2011)Cite this article

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A fossil from the Early Cretaceous provides insight into the evolution of the hearing apparatus in mammals. Anchoring the eardrum was, it seems, an essential step in freeing the middle ear from the jaw. See Article p.181

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Figure 1: Middle ears and eardrums in ventral view.

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  1. Anne Weil is in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74107, USA.,

    Anne Weil

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  1. Anne Weil
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Correspondence to Anne Weil.

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Weil, A. A jaw-dropping ear. Nature 472, 174–176 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/472174a

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