Photo: Ancient Reptiles Had Advanced Hearing, Fossils Suggest

Email to a Friend << Back to Full Story


A 260 million-year-old fossil of the small reptile found in central Russia is the owner of the first known "modern" ear.



A reconstruction (above, in pink) shows the reptile's extremely large eardrum.



The find suggests land vertebrates had modern ears about 60 million years earlier than previously thought, experts say.


Images courtesy Linda Tsuji and Johannes Müller

MOST VIEWED NEWS

PICTURES: 2012 Doomsday Myths Debunked

2012: Six End-of-the-World Myths Debunked

APOCALYPSE PICTURES: 10 Failed Doomsday Prophecies
NEWS FEEDS    After installing a news reader, click on this icon to download National Geographic News's XML/RSS feed. After installing a news reader, click on this icon to download National Geographic News's XML/RSS feed.

Get our news delivered directly to your desktop—free.
How to Use XML or RSS

ADVERTISEMENT

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC'S PHOTO OF THE DAY

Today's National Geographic Photo of the Day

• Today's Photo

• Download as Wallpaper

50 Drives of a Lifetime

National Geographic Traveler has scoured the globe for the world's most beautiful, interesting, and off-beat road trips. Dive in to get drive directions, quizzes, photos, and more.