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Lend an ear to a classic tale of mammalian evolution

Newly discovered fossil evidence has led to a re-evaluation of one of the fundamental transitions in mammalian evolution: the transformation of bones of the lower jaw into those of the middle ear.
  1. Simone Hoffmann

    1. Simone Hoffmann is in the Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York 11568, USA.

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Modern mammals have three tiny bones in their middle ear that aid hearing. Oddly, these bones evolved from remnants of jaw bones, and how they migrated to form the ear has fascinated biologists for 200 years1. The middle ear and lower jaw of mammals today differ strikingly from those of other vertebrates. In addition to the three bones of the middle ear (termed the malleus, incus and stapes), mammalian ears have an ectotympanic bone, from which hangs the tympanic membrane (also known as the eardrum) that is needed for hearing. But they have just one lower jaw bone (the dentary bone). By contrast, other vertebrates have only one bone in the middle ear (the stapes), but more than eight lower jaw bones.

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Nature 590, 224-226 (2021)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-00064-5

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