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Related Concept Videos

Equilibrium and Balance01:15

Equilibrium and Balance

The inner ear assumes dual functionalities of auditory perception and equilibrium maintenance. The vestibule is the organ responsible for balance. This organ contains mechanoreceptors, specifically hair cells, endowed with stereocilia, which aid in deciphering information regarding the position and motion of our heads. Two intrinsic components, the utricle and saccule, help perceive head position, while the semicircular canals track head movement. Neurological messages initiated in the...
The Vestibular System01:29

The Vestibular System

The vestibular system is a set of inner ear structures that provide a sense of balance and spatial orientation. This system is comprised of structures within the labyrinth of the inner ear, including the cochlea and two otolith organs—the utricle and saccule. The labyrinth also contains three semicircular canals—superior, posterior, and horizontal—that are oriented on different planes.
Anatomy of the Ear01:16

Anatomy of the Ear

Auditory sensation, commonly called hearing, involves the transformation of sonic waves into neural impulses facilitated by the structures of the auditory organ. The prominent, flesh-like structure on the side of the head, called the auricle, directs sound waves towards the auditory canal. The auricle is often mislabeled as the pinna, a term more aligned with mobile structures like a feline's external ear. The auditory canal penetrates the cranium via the external auditory meatus of the...
The Cochlea01:13

The Cochlea

The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.
Auditory Perception01:17

Auditory Perception

The auditory system is essential for sound perception, utilizing various critical structures. When sound waves enter the outer ear, they travel through the ear canal and cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are then transmitted to the middle ear, where three tiny bones – the malleus, incus, and stapes – amplify the sound. This amplification is crucial, as it ensures that the sound vibrations are strong enough to be conveyed to the inner ear. These vibrations then reach the cochlea, a...
Auditory Pathway01:15

Auditory Pathway

Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...

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Posterior Semicircular Canal Approach for Inner Ear Gene Delivery in Neonatal Mouse
03:52

Posterior Semicircular Canal Approach for Inner Ear Gene Delivery in Neonatal Mouse

Published on: March 2, 2018

Semicircular canal system in early primates.

Mary T Silcox1, Jonathan I Bloch, Doug M Boyer

  • 1Department of Anthropology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Canada. m.silcox@uwinnipeg.ca

Journal of Human Evolution
|February 3, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Fossil primate locomotion, including agility and leaping, can be inferred from semicircular canal size. Larger canals indicate more agile movement, while smaller canals suggest slower locomotion in extinct mammals.

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Area of Science:

  • Paleoanthropology
  • Comparative Anatomy
  • Primate Evolution

Background:

  • Mammalian locomotion speed and agility correlate with semicircular canal size relative to body mass.
  • Semicircular canals offer a method to infer locomotor behavior in fossil primates using cranial material, independent of postcranial remains.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To reconstruct the locomotor behaviors of extinct primates using semicircular canal measurements.
  • To test hypotheses about primate locomotion using cranial data from fossil species.

Main Methods:

  • Measured semicircular canal radii using ultra-high-resolution X-ray CT data for fossil primates (plesiadapiforms, adapoids, omomyoids, Rooneyia viejaensis).
  • Compared these measurements with a modern sample of 210 species (91 primates) with known locomotor behaviors.

Main Results:

  • Plesiadapiforms and adapids exhibited small semicircular canals, indicating less agile locomotion and less specialization for leaping.
  • Derived notharctid adapoids and omomyoids possessed larger semicircular canals, suggesting greater agility.
  • Microchoerus was reconstructed with very jerky locomotion and high head accelerations; Rooneyia viejaensis showed agility comparable to omomyids.

Conclusions:

  • Semicircular canal size provides a reliable proxy for reconstructing locomotor agility in extinct primates.
  • Findings align with existing postcranial evidence, validating the use of cranial data for inferring locomotion.
  • Rooneyia viejaensis's agility suggests potential leaping behaviors or similar locomotor demands, pending postcranial fossil discovery.