Tag: biogeography
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Fossilized ear bones rewrite the history of freshwater fish
A new timeline for the origin of otophysan fish Scientists have long noted that two‑thirds of all freshwater fishes possess a sophisticated hearing system known as the Weberian apparatus, a set of middle-ear bones that lets these fish hear much higher frequencies than most ocean species. In a stunning revision of this history, UC Berkeley…
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Fossilized Ear Bones Rewrite Freshwater Fish History
Weberian Ear Bones Rewrite Freshwater Fish Origins For millions of years, freshwater fish have wowed scientists with their remarkable hearing abilities. Central to this capability is the Weberian apparatus, a set of small, bone-based connectors that transfers sound from an air-bladder system to the inner ear. In two-thirds of today’s freshwater species, including ubiquitous catfish…
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Flightless Birds: Ancestors Once Flew Across Oceans
New genetic data reshapes the story of flightless birds Birds are often celebrated for their ability to conquer the skies, but a growing body of research suggests the opposite may be true for the ancestors of today’s flightless giants. A new study points to a surprisingly recent shift from flying ancestry to ground-dwelling endurance, proposing…