Evolution of the cochlea and the elongated cochlea allows for better sensitivity for higher frequencies. As in all lepidosaurs and archosaurs, the single-ossicle (columellar) middle ear transmits sound to the footplate of the columella, which sends a pressure wave through the inner ear. In snakes, the basilar papilla is roughly 1mm long and only responds to frequencies below about 1 kHz. In contrast, lizards tend to have two areas of hair cells, one responding below and the other above 1 kHz. The upper frequency limit in most lizards is roughly 5–8 kHz. The longest lizard papillae are about 2mm long and contain 2000 hair
Evolution of the cochlea study, the basal turn of the cochlea was measured, and it was hypothesized that cochlear size correlates with body mass. The size of the basal turn of the cochlea was not different in Neanderthals and Holocene humans, however it became larger in early modern humans and Upper Paleolithic humans. Furthermore, the position and orientation of the cochlea is similar between Neanderthals and Holocene humans, relative to plane of the lateral canal, whereas early modern and upper Paleolithic humans have a more superiorly placed cochlea than Holocene humans. When comparing hominins of the Middle Pleistocene and Neanderthals and Holocene humans, the