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Related Concept Videos

The Cochlea01:13

The Cochlea

52.0K
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.
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Convergent Evolution01:54

Convergent Evolution

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Evolution shapes the features of organisms over time, ensuring that they are suited for the environments in which they live. Sometimes, selection pressure leads to the rise of similar but unrelated adaptations in organisms with no recent common ancestors, a process known as convergent evolution.
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Anatomy of the Ear01:16

Anatomy of the Ear

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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...
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Hair Cells01:22

Hair Cells

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Hair cells are the sensory receptors of the auditory system—they transduce mechanical sound waves into electrical energy that the nervous system can understand. Hair cells are located in the organ of Corti within the cochlea of the inner ear, between the basilar and tectorial membranes. The actual sensory receptors are called inner hair cells. The outer hair cells serve other functions, such as sound amplification in the cochlea, and are not discussed in detail here.
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Auditory Pathway01:15

Auditory Pathway

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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...
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The Auditory Ossicles01:11

The Auditory Ossicles

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The auditory ossicles of the middle ear transmit sounds from the air as vibrations to the fluid-filled cochlea. The auditory ossicles consist of two malleus (hammer) bones, two incus (anvil) bones, and two stapes (stirrups), one on each side. These bones develop during the fetal stage and are the ones to ossify first. They are fully mature at birth and do not grow afterward.
The aptly named stapes look very much like a stirrup. The three ossicles are unique to mammals, and each plays a role in...
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In Ovo and Ex Ovo Methods to Study Avian Inner Ear Development
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In Ovo and Ex Ovo Methods to Study Avian Inner Ear Development

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The mammalian Cretaceous cochlear revolution.

Geoffrey A Manley1

  • 1Cochlear and Auditory Brainstem Physiology, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all", Research Centre Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany.

Hearing Research
|December 24, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Therian mammals evolved unique hearing adaptations, enabling ultrasonic sound detection. Despite structural differences, their auditory performance matches other vertebrates, with ultrasonic hearing offering evolutionary advantages.

Keywords:
AuditoryCochleaEvolutionHearingMonotremePrestinTherian

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Related Experiment Videos

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Area of Science:

  • Comparative anatomy and physiology of vertebrate auditory systems.
  • Evolutionary biology and paleontology of mammals.

Background:

  • Amniote vertebrates exhibit diverse hearing organ structures.
  • Auditory sensitivity and frequency selectivity show minimal inter-group variation.
  • Therian mammals uniquely possess ultrasonic hearing capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate why therian mammals have significant cochlear structural differences without proportional physiological divergence.
  • To explore the evolutionary history of mammalian hearing, particularly during the Cretaceous period.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of cochlear structure and physiology across amniote groups.
  • Review of paleontological data and evolutionary history of mammals.
  • Hypothesizing the impact of lagenar macula loss on endolymph calcium levels and auditory function.

Main Results:

  • Loss of the lagenar macula in therian ancestors led to reduced endolymph calcium.
  • This triggered compensatory adaptations, maintaining auditory performance.
  • These adaptations unexpectedly facilitated ultrasonic hearing in therian mammals.

Conclusions:

  • Therian cochlear evolution resulted in functionally equivalent hearing to other amniotes.
  • Ultrasonic hearing emerged as an advantageous, albeit initially unforeseen, capability.
  • This capability is utilized for communication, orientation, and echolocation in various therian groups.