Maotherium asiaticus Ear Morphology (IMAGE)

Carnegie Museum of Natural History

Maotherium asiaticus Ear Morphology

Caption

Maotherium is related to such modern mammals as Didelphis. But unlike marsupials and placentals, in which the middle ear is separated from the mandible, in Maotherium the middle ear is still attached to the mandible. Recent developmental biology studies have shown that the connection of middle ear to the mandible can “re-appear” as the genes control their development can change, and such genetic and developmental changes can impact evolution. Maotherium provides a strong case of how development has impacted fossil evolution in the deep history of Earth.

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Zhe-Xi Luo/Carnegie Museum of Natural History

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