Seals' Dual Hearing Mastery: Land and Sea Acoustics
Scientists have discovered that seals evolved specialized ear tissue 26 million years ago, allowing them to hear effectively both underwater and on land. This evolutionary adaptation is considered fundamental to their ability to communicate in diverse environments.
Why it matters
Understanding the evolutionary history of marine mammals provides insights into how species adapt to environmental changes and ecological challenges.
New research from an international team of scientists has identified how a specialised tissue in the ears of seals enables them to hear both underwater and on land.
The study, published today in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences , reveals that the earliest marine seals evolved amphibious hearing over 26 million years ago. Amphibious hearing is the ability to hear effectively in both air and water. The findings suggest that amphibious hearing is fundamental to the lives of seals.
Lead author, Dr James Rule from the School of Biological Sciences at Monash University, conducted the research during his time as a postdoctoral researcher at London's Natural History Museum and said pinnipeds (true seals, eared seals and walruses) have a unique superpower.
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