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The Primate Peripheral Auditory System and the Evolution of Primate Hearing

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Primate Hearing and Communication

Part of the book series: Springer Handbook of Auditory Research ((SHAR,volume 63))

Abstract

The primate peripheral auditory organ closely resembles that of other terrestrial mammals. Acoustic communication has an important role in primate communities, and hearing characteristics are well-known for several species. In this chapter, morphological variation of the primate outer, middle, and inner ears is reviewed and is related to auditory data known from experimental work. Differences can be discerned among various primate groups, the greatest differences being between small, mainly nocturnal strepsirrhines and larger, mainly diurnal haplorhines. The evolutionary history of primate hearing is discussed in relation to different hypotheses of primate origins with the view that, as in the earliest mammals, the earliest primates were nocturnal and had good high-frequency hearing. Increased sensitivity to lower frequencies evolved later, although relatively early in the history of primates. This was made possible by an elongation of the cochlea and the disappearance of the secondary spiral lamina. The body size and ecology of primates is related to their ear size, and the role of hearing together with other sensory modalities, mainly vision and olfaction, is discussed.

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Acknowledgments

Many thanks to the editors Rolf Quam, Marissa Ramsier, Arthur Popper, and Richard Fay for inviting me to contribute to this book and for their valuable support and advice. I also thank Rickye Heffner, Simo Hemilä, Gimseong Koay, and Tom Reuter for help and discussions while preparing this manuscript. Financial support was provided by the Academy of Finland and by the Ella and Georg Ehrnrooth Foundation.

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Sirpa Nummela declares that she has no conflict of interest.

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  1. Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, POB 65 (Viikinkaari 1), Helsinki, 00014, Finland

    Sirpa Nummela

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  1. Sirpa Nummela
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA

    Rolf M. Quam

  2. Department of Anthropology, Humboldt State University, Arcata, California, USA

    Marissa A. Ramsier

  3. Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    Richard R. Fay

  4. Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA

    Arthur N. Popper

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Nummela, S. (2017). The Primate Peripheral Auditory System and the Evolution of Primate Hearing. In: Quam, R., Ramsier, M., Fay, R., Popper, A. (eds) Primate Hearing and Communication. Springer Handbook of Auditory Research, vol 63. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59478-1_2

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