Ancient ape species. PHOTO/ SCIENCE ALERT
MILAN – A new study published in the journal Nature found that the ears of 6 million year old monkeys have a structure similar to ears modern humans.
This suggests that changes in the ear may have been one of the early steps in the evolution of humans to walk upright.
The study was conducted by researchers from New York University, Harvard University, and the University of Zurich.
They analyzed the ear fossils of an ancient ape named Sahelanthropus tchadensis, which was discovered in Chad in 2002.
The researchers found that Sahelanthropus ears were similar in structure to modern human ears in several respects. For example, its ears have deep ear canals and large auditory ossicles.
According to the researchers, this structure may have helped Sahelanthropus hear better when walking upright. This is because the deep ear canal helps collect sound, and the large ossicles help focus sound.
The researchers also discovered that Sahelanthropus’ ears lacked the structure typical of modern apes. For example, its ears lack a small auditory bone called the malleus.
According to the researchers, this suggests that changes in the ear may have been one of the early steps in the evolution of humans to walk upright.
“Changes in the ear may have helped Sahelanthropus to hear better when walking upright,” said study author Dr. Stephanie Meldrum from New York University, as reported by Science Alert, Thursday, (1/2/2024).
“This may have given him an advantage in competition for food and mates.”
The researchers say that this study provides new insights into human evolution. They say that further study is needed to understand how changes in the ear contributed to the evolution of humans to walk upright.
(wbs)
2024-02-01 12:42:35
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