What distinguishes us from the dinosaurs? Three middle ear bones, for starters. Stanford mechanical engineer Sunil Puria, PhD, studies inner- and middle-ear biomechanics and the role of bone conduction in hearing, and he's among a number of scientists who are curious why we have the tiny malleus, incus and stapes but reptiles and birds don't.
Read more from Stanford Report on what Puria's research on bone conduction hearing could mean for treating hearing loss, enhancing sound technology, and understanding evolutionary biology.
Previously: Battling hearing loss on and off the battlefield and Hearing loss patient discusses why Stanford research gives her hope for an eventual cure
