New article Media Portal of the University of Vienna

17.09.2024

An Unexpected Result: The Mammalian Inner Ear is a Striking Example of Convergent evolution

Recent press release on:

Mammals with distant evolutionary ties but similar ecological roles evolved comparable inner ear shapes

A new study reveals the surprisingly convergent evolution in the inner ear of mammals. An international research team led by Nicole Grunstra from the University of Vienna and Anne Le Maître from the Konrad Lorenz Institute (KLI) for Evolution and Cognition Research (Klosterneuburg) showed that a group of highly divergent mammals known as Afrotheria and distantly related, but ecologically very similar mammals independently evolved similar inner ear shapes. The study has just been published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications. 

Read the article on media portal

Media response
2024-09-17: Ö1 Wissen aktuell (13:55) Link