Variation in whale (Cetacea) inner ear anatomy reveals the early evolution of "specialized" high-frequency hearing sensitivity.

ABSTRACT: As fully aquatic mammals, hearing is arguably the most important sensory component of cetaceans. Increasingly, researchers have been harnessing computed tomography (CT) to investigate the details of the inner ear as they can provide clues to the hearing abilities of whales. We use microCT scans of a broad sampling of the ear bones (periotics) of primarily toothed whales (Odontoceti) to investigate the inner ear bony labyrinth shape and reconstruct hearing sensitivities among these cetaceans, including several taxa about which little is currently known. We find support for sensitivity to the lower frequency spectrum in the archaeocete Zygorhiza kochii and an early toothed mysticete cf. Aetiocetus. Oligocene odontocetes (including one from our novel dataset), stem delphinidans, and two addit

SUBMITTER: Racicot RA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11828743 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature