Question

Name the middle ear ossicles. What is their evolutionary origin?

Answer 1

There are three ear ossicles present in the middle ear. The name of these ossicles are maleus, incus and stapes.

These ossicles are not present in the reptiles. There are two bones called as the articular and the quadrate bone in the reptiles. These bones are responsible for the attachment of the upper and lower jaw. Over the time, there was evolution. These bones lost their function and formed the ossicles which helped in better hearing.