Ultra-high matrix mineralization of sperm whale auditory ossicles facilitates high sound pressure and high-frequency underwater hearing
The auditory ossicles—malleus, incus and stapes—are the smallest bones in mammalian bodies and enable stable sound transmission to the inner ear. Sperm whales are one of the deepest diving aquatic mammals that produce and perceive sounds with extreme loudness greater than 180 dB and frequencies high...
Published in: | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.1820 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2018.1820 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rspb.2018.1820 |
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crroyalsociety:10.1098/rspb.2018.1820 2024-06-02T08:14:53+00:00 Ultra-high matrix mineralization of sperm whale auditory ossicles facilitates high sound pressure and high-frequency underwater hearing Schmidt, Felix N. Delsmann, Maximilian M. Mletzko, Kathrin Yorgan, Timur A. Hahn, Michael Siebert, Ursula Busse, Björn Oheim, Ralf Amling, Michael Rolvien, Tim German Research Foundation 2018 http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.1820 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2018.1820 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rspb.2018.1820 en eng The Royal Society https://royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences volume 285, issue 1893, page 20181820 ISSN 0962-8452 1471-2954 journal-article 2018 crroyalsociety https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.1820 2024-05-07T14:16:10Z The auditory ossicles—malleus, incus and stapes—are the smallest bones in mammalian bodies and enable stable sound transmission to the inner ear. Sperm whales are one of the deepest diving aquatic mammals that produce and perceive sounds with extreme loudness greater than 180 dB and frequencies higher than 30 kHz. Therefore, it is of major interest to decipher the microstructural basis for these unparalleled hearing abilities. Using a suite of high-resolution imaging techniques, we reveal that auditory ossicles of sperm whales are highly functional, featuring an ultra-high matrix mineralization that is higher than their teeth. On a micro-morphological and cellular level, this was associated with osteonal structures and osteocyte lacunar occlusions through calcified nanospherites (i.e. micropetrosis), while the bones were characterized by a higher hardness compared to a vertebral bone of the same animals as well as to human auditory ossicles. We propose that the ultra-high mineralization facilitates the unique hearing ability of sperm whales. High matrix mineralization represents an evolutionary conserved or convergent adaptation to middle ear sound transmission. Article in Journal/Newspaper Sperm whale The Royal Society Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 285 1893 20181820 |
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Open Polar |
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The Royal Society |
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crroyalsociety |
language |
English |
description |
The auditory ossicles—malleus, incus and stapes—are the smallest bones in mammalian bodies and enable stable sound transmission to the inner ear. Sperm whales are one of the deepest diving aquatic mammals that produce and perceive sounds with extreme loudness greater than 180 dB and frequencies higher than 30 kHz. Therefore, it is of major interest to decipher the microstructural basis for these unparalleled hearing abilities. Using a suite of high-resolution imaging techniques, we reveal that auditory ossicles of sperm whales are highly functional, featuring an ultra-high matrix mineralization that is higher than their teeth. On a micro-morphological and cellular level, this was associated with osteonal structures and osteocyte lacunar occlusions through calcified nanospherites (i.e. micropetrosis), while the bones were characterized by a higher hardness compared to a vertebral bone of the same animals as well as to human auditory ossicles. We propose that the ultra-high mineralization facilitates the unique hearing ability of sperm whales. High matrix mineralization represents an evolutionary conserved or convergent adaptation to middle ear sound transmission. |
author2 |
German Research Foundation |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Schmidt, Felix N. Delsmann, Maximilian M. Mletzko, Kathrin Yorgan, Timur A. Hahn, Michael Siebert, Ursula Busse, Björn Oheim, Ralf Amling, Michael Rolvien, Tim |
spellingShingle |
Schmidt, Felix N. Delsmann, Maximilian M. Mletzko, Kathrin Yorgan, Timur A. Hahn, Michael Siebert, Ursula Busse, Björn Oheim, Ralf Amling, Michael Rolvien, Tim Ultra-high matrix mineralization of sperm whale auditory ossicles facilitates high sound pressure and high-frequency underwater hearing |
author_facet |
Schmidt, Felix N. Delsmann, Maximilian M. Mletzko, Kathrin Yorgan, Timur A. Hahn, Michael Siebert, Ursula Busse, Björn Oheim, Ralf Amling, Michael Rolvien, Tim |
author_sort |
Schmidt, Felix N. |
title |
Ultra-high matrix mineralization of sperm whale auditory ossicles facilitates high sound pressure and high-frequency underwater hearing |
title_short |
Ultra-high matrix mineralization of sperm whale auditory ossicles facilitates high sound pressure and high-frequency underwater hearing |
title_full |
Ultra-high matrix mineralization of sperm whale auditory ossicles facilitates high sound pressure and high-frequency underwater hearing |
title_fullStr |
Ultra-high matrix mineralization of sperm whale auditory ossicles facilitates high sound pressure and high-frequency underwater hearing |
title_full_unstemmed |
Ultra-high matrix mineralization of sperm whale auditory ossicles facilitates high sound pressure and high-frequency underwater hearing |
title_sort |
ultra-high matrix mineralization of sperm whale auditory ossicles facilitates high sound pressure and high-frequency underwater hearing |
publisher |
The Royal Society |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.1820 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2018.1820 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rspb.2018.1820 |
genre |
Sperm whale |
genre_facet |
Sperm whale |
op_source |
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences volume 285, issue 1893, page 20181820 ISSN 0962-8452 1471-2954 |
op_rights |
https://royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.1820 |
container_title |
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
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285 |
container_issue |
1893 |
container_start_page |
20181820 |
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1800738890918658048 |