www.sciencedaily.com
Researchers have discovered that advanced, mammal-like hearing likely evolved 250 million years ago in Thrinaxodon, an ancestor to mammals. By modeling sound transmission through the creature’s skull, scientists found evidence of an early eardrum capable of detecting airborne sound, contradicting old theories that these animals heard primarily through their jaws or bones. This reveals that key components of modern mammalian hearing were present much earlier in prehistory than previously believed.
