How Inner Ears Reveal Clues About Early Hominin Behavior

Divergent inner ear structures in Paranthropus robustus and Australopithecus africanus redefine our understanding of early human evolution.

Hearing the Story of Evolution

Deep within the fossilized skulls of our ancestors lies a structure that often goes unnoticed: the bony labyrinth of the inner ear. This delicate maze, responsible for balance and hearing, offers far more than auditory insights. Recent research by Smith et al., published in Journal of Human Evolution¹, delves into the compar…