Atomic force microscope observations of otoconia in the newt

Calcitic and aragonitic otoconia from the Japanese red-bellied newt, Cynops pyrrhogaster, were examined using an atomic force microscope. The surface structure of both otoconial polymorphs consisted of arrays of elements approximately 50 nm in diameter. Elements were generally round and were separated by shallow depressions of no more than 20 nm. The elements are suggested to be single crystals of calcium carbonate. The relationship of these observations to theories of otoconial genesis is discussed.