The article by Elizabeth Hester on ‘The Evolution of the Auditory System: A Tutorial’ highlights the importance of knowing the history of the auditory system and how this information can be used to treat speech deficits and hearing problems. In the study, her main focus was on the middle ear. The stress is given on embryology, paleontology and comparative studies of live organisms; these were considered to be the main approaches used in the study.
Hester considered it unprofessional to define hearing considering this was the main topic in question. She uses Ted Bullok’s definition of hearing, which says; the central modality concerned with the perception of the sound acting upon the ears of vertebrates, at low and moderate intensities as distinct from the perceptions of touch, vibrations and pain. It is important to note that sound is not confined to pressure waves . However, it also includes the tiny particle that are displaced components of mechanical disturbances from sources that are commonly distant. The focus study is therefore on the relationship hearing, and both the ear and the brain functions.
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Despite the numerous achievements that have been discovered in terms of learning the evolution of the auditory system, the study still has its cautions and limitations. To begin with, the research has methodological limitations; the knowledge of fossil evidence is not continuous (Bolt and Lombard, 1992). Secondly, the cladograms that are used to show the phylogenetic relationships do not specify ancestor-descent relationships. Finally, researchers suggest the need to be vigilant in terms of the assumptions made when interpreting auditory perception from behaviour (Glendeinng and Masterson, 1998).
The author further discusses the fossil record and how it is used and related to the current literature on the evolution of the ear. An in depth analysis of the inner, middle and outer ear is done to show the evolution journey. The changes that have occurred during the evolution have been discussed and this has been used to develop strong relationships with the current available literature. The middle and inner ear are discussed in details and this gives an overview of the changes that have occurred over time. It is interesting to note that the evolution of the ear is considered more subtle, intriguing and speculative. To add on this, the evolution of the central auditory system is majorly based on the relative studies of organisms that are alive today.
Stebbins (1980) says that the enlargement of the auditory part of the brain in the early mammals was a response to the adaptive nocturnal zone. Gladdening and Masterson echoed this statement 18 years later; they found that considerable vibrations were evident. They however caution that the direct corresponding between the evidence and the organism’s current ecological niche can be disappointing and misleading. On the other hand, Merzenich and Schreiner in 1992 concluded that; significant differences may be presents between cage-rared vs. wild-caught animals.
Sommers and Stebbins (1992) concluded that perception is two steps removed from the evolutionary record. To add on this, Werner and Gray (1998) suggest that infant can discriminate speech sounds just a few days after birth. Lieberman also emphasised that the evolution of human beings is similar to the process of speech perception. Following the argument placed, it can be seen that the evolution of the ear is an ongoing research and more discoveries can be made as time goes by.
In conclusion, from the article largely addresses the evolution of the auditory system and gives a detail analysis of how the conclusions and various advances have been made through researchers. However, despite the incredible progress that has been made, there is still room for more to be learned and some of the claims that have been made need to be backed up using strong evidence.
