A fossil from the Early Cretaceous provides insight into the evolution of the hearing apparatus in mammals. Anchoring the eardrum was, it seems, an essential step in freeing the middle ear from the jaw. See Article p.181
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Weil, A. A jaw-dropping ear. Nature 472, 174–176 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/472174a
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/472174a