Middle ear to sounds of higher frequency, because these are better taken up by the inner ear (which also responds to higher frequencies than those of non-mammals). The malleus, or "hammer", evolved from the articular bone of the lower jaw, and the incus, or "anvil", from the quadrate. In other vertebrates, these bones form the primary jaw joint, but the expansion of the dentary bone in mammals led to the evolution of an entirely new jaw joint, freeing up the old joint to become part of the ear. For a period of time, both jaw joints existed together, one medially and one
The Third Ear (book) The Third Ear (book) The Third Ear is a book by Chris Lonsdale analyzing human attitudes towards language learning with an emphasis on the habits of polyglots. Starting as a native English speaker, this summary of their habits is coupled with his own experience of learning two Chinese languages, namely Mandarin and Cantonese. It was released in January 2006 and reprinted in April 2007. "The Third Ear" begins with an introduction, that is followed by three sections. The introduction challenges the myth that language learning is “difficult” and outlines the way in which Lonsdale believes readers should use the book.