Morphological grounds for diversification and evolutionary change in the amphibian sound-conducting apparatus.
The occurrence of 2 alternate sound-conducting elements (operculum - stapes) and paedomorphic trends are responsible for the elaboration of extreme diversity in the structure of the sound-conducting apparatus seen in recent amphibians. It seems possible that the same factors might provide grounds for the large extent of diversification in the middle ear morphology of the early fossil amphibian taxa.
Smirnov
S V
SV
Institute of Evolutionary Animal Morphology and Ecology, USSR Academy of Sciences, Moscow.
Vorobyeva
E I
EI
D000663:Amphibians / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D000818:Animals; D004423:Ear / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000033:anatomy & histology*