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The Auditory Ossicles

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 3, 2026

Dissection of the Auditory Bulla in Postnatal Mice: Isolation of the Middle Ear Bones and Histological Analysis

Dissection of the Auditory Bulla in Postnatal Mice: Isolation of the Middle Ear Bones and Histological Analysis

Published on: January 4, 2017

Elastic modulus of cetacean auditory ossicles.

Andrew A Tubelli¹, Aleks Zosuls, Darlene R Ketten

¹Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hearing Research Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts.

Anatomical Record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)

|February 14, 2014

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Marine mammal hearing relies on middle ear bone mechanics. Cetacean auditory ossicles show distinct elastic moduli between baleen and toothed whales, suggesting adaptations for underwater sound reception.

Keywords:

cetacean elastic modulus hearing middle ear ossicles

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Area of Science:

Biomechanics
Marine Mammal Biology
Auditory Science

Background:

Understanding marine mammal hearing requires knowledge of middle ear bone mechanical properties.
Biologically realistic models are crucial for investigating cetacean auditory biomechanics, a field with significant knowledge gaps.

Purpose of the Study:

To measure the elastic moduli of auditory ossicles in various cetacean species.
To compare the mechanical properties of auditory ossicles between mysticetes (baleen whales) and odontocetes (toothed whales).

Main Methods:

Nanoindentation was employed to determine the elastic moduli of the malleus, incus, and stapes.
Eight cetacean species, including two mysticetes and six odontocetes, were analyzed.

Main Results:

Mysticete auditory ossicles exhibited lower average elastic moduli (31.6–35.2 GPa) compared to odontocete ossicles (53.3–62.3 GPa).
Interior bone generally displayed a higher elastic modulus than cortical bone, with differences up to 36%.
Preliminary investigations into the effects of freezing and formalin-fixation on elastic modulus yielded no clear trends due to limited sample sizes.

Conclusions:

The high elastic modulus of cetacean auditory ossicles and the observed differences between mysticetes and odontocetes are likely specialized adaptations for efficient underwater hearing.
These findings contribute to a better understanding of the biomechanical basis of hearing in marine mammals.