A 100-Year Debate About the Eardrum Comes to an End

"Comes to an end"

Bold words. While this demonstrates that the locus of tympanic formation differs across vertebrates, the mechanism (fenestration and ossicles from mandibles) apparently remains the same - either way, I can't see how this is "case closed".

> When the scientists genetically inhibited lower jaw development in both fetal mice and chickens, the mice formed neither eardrums nor ear canals. In contrast, the birds grew two upper jaws

> "kiill meeeee"

This research seems barbaric.

Aborting a chicken fetus for science seems a lot less barbaric then raising and killing animals as an unnecessary food source.

I agree.

ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny

> Hear, hear for genetics!

Wow, those Japanese researchers can now sure beat their drums about this research.

What a ... jaw-dropping result.