Hear insects! Sensational discovery about the secret of the tympanic organs

Hear insects! Sensational discovery about the secret of the tympanic organs

Science is a continuous process that continually provides us with new insights into our world. A fascinating example of this is insect hearing, a topic recently discussed in an article by the Labor Journals was treated. The focus is on the surprising question: Can insects really hear even though they have no visible ears?

As it turns out, insects actually hear with special organs called tympanic organs. These consist of mechano-receptors located under a thin membrane. Sound waves cause this membrane to vibrate and thereby generate an auditory signal. Impressively, researchers have discovered that these organs evolved independently in at least seventeen different insect lineages, providing ample fuel for hypotheses about the evolution of insect hearing.

Hearing and evolution

The development of hearing plays a crucial role in survival, particularly in insects. One hypothesis suggests that insect ears evolved in response to the existential threat posed by bats. Experimental tests have shown that insects are actually able to hear bat ultrasonic frequencies. But remarkably, a fossil find of crickets and grasshoppers that lived over 50 million years ago refutes the idea that the evolution of hearing is due solely to this predation pressure.

The scientific method is a key to new insights. The article in Labor Journal emphasizes that scientists formulate hypotheses, test them and, if necessary, falsify them in order to continuously learn and discover new facts.

The development of the eardrum

Another exciting aspect of hearing research is the eardrum in reptiles. An international study led by Dr. Mario Bronzati from the University of Tübingen found that the last common ancestor of all modern reptiles had an eardrum. According to the publication in Current Biology This eardrum was crucial for survival during a major extinction event.

The origin of the eardrum in land vertebrates can be traced back to the transition from water to land 400 to 360 million years ago. Amazingly, the first amphibian-like land vertebrates could hear, but it was only with the development of the eardrum that their hearing improved significantly.

The study not only looked at fossilized remains, but also analyzed developmental data from lizard and crocodile embryos. The researchers discovered that the eardrum in reptiles develops in a different area of ​​the head than in mammals - an exciting finding that provides a better understanding of reptile evolution and success.

A look into the future

Overall, research into insect hearing and the origin of the eardrum in reptiles opens up fascinating perspectives. While science is always striving to advance knowledge, the discovery of new connections and their importance for the survival of species remains of the greatest interest. As evolution shows us again and again, adaptation is the be-all and end-all - and who knows what secrets hearing will reveal to us!