Groovy Bones: Mammalian ear structure evolved more than once

Fossils of an ancient egg-laying mammal indicate that the configuration of the bones in all living mammals’ ears arose at least twice along independent evolutionary pathways, paleontologists say.

IN THE GROOVE. A trough (red arrow) on the lower jawbone of Teinolophos trusleri, an ancient egg-laying mammal, indicates that it had a reptile-style ear structure and its modern descendants’ ear structure evolved independently of that in other mammals.