Maisey J G
Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West and 79th Street, New York, NY 10024-5192, USA.
J Morphol. 2001 Dec;250(3):236-64. doi: 10.1002/jmor.1068.
The structure and function of the craniate inner ear is reviewed, with 33 apomorphic characters of the membranous labyrinth and associated structures identified in craniates, gnathostomes, and elasmobranchs. Elasmobranchs are capable of low-frequency semi-directional phonoreception, even in the absence of any pressure-to-displacement transducer such as ear ossicles. The endolymphatic (parietal) fossa, semicircular canals, and crista (macula) neglecta are all adapted toward phonoreception. Some (but not all) of the morphological features associated with phonoreception can be inferred from the elasmobranch skeletal labyrinth. Endocranial spaces such as the skeletal labyrinth also provide suites of morphological characters that may be incorporated into phylogenetic analyses, irrespective of how closely these spaces reflect underlying soft anatomy. The skeletal labyrinths of Squalus and Notorynchus are compared using silicone endocasts and high-resolution CT-scanning. The latter procedure offers several advantages over other techniques; it is more informative, nondestructive, preserves relationships of surrounding structures, and it can be applied both to modern and fossil material.
本文综述了有头类动物内耳的结构和功能，确定了在有头类动物、有颌类动物和板鳃亚纲动物中膜迷路及相关结构的33个特化特征。即使没有任何诸如听小骨之类的压力-位移换能器，板鳃亚纲动物也能够进行低频半定向听觉。内淋巴（顶骨）窝、半规管和忽略嵴（斑）均适应听觉。一些（但不是全部）与听觉相关的形态特征可以从板鳃亚纲动物的骨迷路推断出来。诸如骨迷路之类的颅腔内部空间也提供了一系列形态特征，这些特征可纳入系统发育分析，而不管这些空间与潜在的软解剖结构的反映程度有多紧密。使用硅树脂铸型和高分辨率CT扫描比较了角鲨和七鳃鲨的骨迷路。后一种方法比其他技术有几个优点；它提供的信息更多，是非破坏性的，保留了周围结构的关系，并且它既可以应用于现代材料，也可以应用于化石材料。
