Ontogenetic and Paleontologic Studies of the Mammalian Ear Region: Implications for the Higher-Level Phylogeny of Mammals

来自化石记录的证据表明， 在进化的过渡期， 从爬行动物到哺乳动物 其中许多变化涉及软- 组织结构（神经、动脉和静脉），如 化石中的各种沟槽、运河和小孔。 我们 解释化石中这些骨骼特征的能力， 由于对软组织结构的了解不足， 现代哺乳动物的耳部 详细的解剖数据， 现代哺乳动物将被收集并用于：（1）重建 化石型耳部软组织结构;（2） 分析主要群体之间的进化关系 哺乳动物

Evidence from the fossil record reveals that the ear region of the skull changed radically during the evolutionary transition from reptiles to mammals. Many of these changes concerned soft- tissue structures (nerves, arteries, and veins), as evidenced by various grooves, canals, and foramina in the fossils. Our ability to interpret these bony features in fossil forms is severely limited by poor knowledge of soft-tissue structures in the ear region of modern mammals. Detailed anatomical data from modern mammals will be collected and used to: (1) reconstruct soft-tissue structures in the ear regions of fossil forms and (2) analyze the evolutionary relationships among the major groups of mammals.