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Evolution of the Vertebrate Ear pp 285–326Cite as

Archosaurs and Their Kin: The Ruling Reptiles

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Part of the book series: Springer Handbook of Auditory Research ((SHAR,volume 59))

Abstract

Archosauria includes birds, crocodylians, and a number of fossil groups such as dinosaurs and pterosaurs. They first appeared in the Early Triassic and since then have dominated terrestrial ecosystems. This chapter is a compilation of the available information on the inner ear morphology of archosaur crown groups and stem groups and an exploration of different aspects of the evolution of their otic anatomy. It is still not clear whether tympanic hearing was present in the basalmost members of stem archosaur clades. However, more derived taxa show a number of modifications that certainly improved their hearing sense, such as a larger metotic foramen and a more elongate cochlea. Impedance-matching hearing appeared many times independently in archosaurs, although it is currently problematic to know at which point this happened. In theropods, impedance-matching hearing appeared before the origin of birds and was retained in the crown-group. Pneumatization must play an important role in directional hearing and is likely to have influenced skull pneumatization in crocodylians. Exquisite sound production capacities were present not only in hadrosaurids but also in ankylosaurids. Elongation of the semicircular canals seems to be linked to the acquisition of a more upright posture and a more active lifestyle in archosaurs. Many crown groups show further elongation of the canals, with birds representing an extreme condition.

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Abbreviations

aa:

anterior ampulla

amcv:

anterior middle cerebral vein

asc:

anterior semicircular canal

atr.pc:

anterior tympanic recess pneumatic cavity

bo:

basioccipital

bt:

basal tuber

car:

carotid artery

cbl:

cerebellum

cc:

common crus

cer:

cerebrum

ci:

crista interfenestralis

c ( = cl):

cochlea

clp:

clinoid process

CN:

cranial nerve (+ Roman numeral)

cp:

cultriform process

de:

dural expansion

dp.ps:

dorsal process of the parabasisphenoid

ed:

endolymphatic duct

eo:

exoccipital

fa:

fossa auditiva

fc.pa:

facet for articulation with parietal

ff:

floccular fossa

fio:

foramen interorbitalis

fm:

metotic foramen

fo/FO:

fenestra ovalis (= fv fenestra vestibuli)

fp/fpd:

fenestra pseudorotunda

fpr:

fenestra pseudorotund

fv:

fenestra vestibuli

iam:

internal auditory meatus

ic/ica:

internal carotid artery

jug:

posterior cerebral vein

lab:

endosseous labyrinth

ld:

lateral depression

leu:

lateral opening of the Eustachian tube

lg.cr:

lagenar crest

lr:

lateral ridge

lsc:

lateral semicircular canal

meu:

medial opening of the Eustachian tube

mf:

metotic foramen

mfis:

metotic fissure

mo:

medulla oblongata

ob:

olfactory bulb

oc:

occipital condyle

ocv:

orbitocerebral vein

op:

opisthotic

pa:

posterior ampulla

pd:

perilymphatic duct

pf:

perilymphatic foramen

pfo:

pituitary fossa

pmcv:

posterior middle cerebral vein

pnf:

pneumatic foramen

pp:

paroccipital process

pr:

prootic

psc:

PSC

psph:

parasphenoid

ptf:

post-temporal fenestra

qc:

quadrate condyle

qu:

quadrate

re:

recess

rst:

recessus scala tympan

rvcm:

rostral middle cerebral vein

sd:

semilunar depression

sin:

blind dural venous sinus of hindbrain

sl.dp:

semilunar depression

sp:

pituitary sinus

spha:

foramen of sphenoidal artery

st:

stapes

tm:

fossa tecti mesencephali

un.gp:

unossified gap

vb:

vestibule

vcm:

vena cerebralis media

vr.op:

ventral ramus of the opisthotic

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Acknowledgements

G. S. was partially supported by the DAAD and CAPES program with funding provided by CAPES (BEX 3474/09-7). J. M. was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (MU 1760/2-3). We also thank M. Bronzatti and F. C. Montefeltro for discussions.

Compliance with Ethics Requirements G. Sobral and J. Müller have declared that they had no conflicts of interest.

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  1. Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Campus Universitário s/n, Florianópolis, 88040-970, Brazil

    Gabriela Sobral

  2. Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Invalidenstraße 43, 10115, Berlin, Germany

    Gabriela Sobral & Johannes Müller

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  1. Gabriela Sobral
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Correspondence to Gabriela Sobral .

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  1. University Museum of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom

    Jennifer A. Clack

  2. Marine Biological Laboratory , Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA

    Richard R Fay

  3. Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA

    Arthur N. Popper

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Sobral, G., Müller, J. (2016). Archosaurs and Their Kin: The Ruling Reptiles. In: Clack, J., Fay, R., Popper, A. (eds) Evolution of the Vertebrate Ear . Springer Handbook of Auditory Research, vol 59. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46661-3_10

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