Biol Lett May 2019 PMID 31088283

Evidence for convergent evolution of ultrasonic hearing in toothed whales (Cetacea: Odontoceti).

Rachel A Racicot, Robert W Boessenecker, Simon A F Darroch, Jonathan H Geisler

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Mentions

64
Peak: 39 in May 2019
across 4 sources since May 2019

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962,409
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May 2019 – Dec 2025

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AI synopsis

What people are saying

Overall, the group exhibits strong support and curiosity about the research, with examples such as mentions of new fossils, anatomical studies, and the evolutionary implications, as well as comments on ultrasonic hearing adaptations, tone, and scientific significance that reflect active and interested engagement.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most discussions highlight support for the idea of convergent evolution of ultrasonic hearing, indicating general agreement with the paper’s conclusions.

InterestHigh interest

Participants show high enthusiasm and curiosity, especially with comments referencing the new fossil discovery and its implications for the evolution of echolocation.

EngagementHigh engagement

Posts engage deeply by discussing detailed aspects like ear geometry, fossil evidence, and potential sensory capabilities, implying active engagement with research methods and implications.

ImpactModerate impact

While some posts celebrate the significance of these findings and their contribution to understanding whale evolution, the overall perceived impact is moderate, emphasizing scientific interest rather than revolutionary change.

Abstract in brief

  • The study investigates the evolution of ultrasonic hearing in toothed whales (Odontoceti), suggesting it originated rapidly within a few million years in their early history, evidenced by skeletal features in fossils.
  • CT scans of ancient whale fossils reveal similarities to modern toothed whales, indicating a possible transitional stage in ear morphology, which provides insights into how ultrasonic hearing evolved in this group.
  • The findings support the idea that ultrasonic hearing either evolved twice independently in different whale lineages or was lost in some, with the evidence favoring a convergent evolution scenario where similar features developed separately in related groups.

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
Travis Park
@Blogozoic · X

Very interesting new paper from @raracicot, @CoastalPaleo & colleagues that shows adaptations for ultrasonic hearing may have evolved twice in toothed whales! Congrats to the team! https://t.co/9XmNBlGxmy https://t.co/Q9QPCF1BPv

May 15, 2019 · 39 likes · 17 shares · 1,693 followers View post →
The Royal Society
@royalsociety · X

All living toothed whales echolocate, a trait shared by their ancestor. New research shows that earlier ancestors reveal echolocation evolved multiple times, independently https://t.co/pE716RNEnf #biologyletters https://t.co/35Icl0fLNS

May 16, 2019 · 19 likes · 5 shares · 340,584 followers View post →
Royal Society Publishing
@RSocPublishing · X

Evidence for convergent evolution of ultrasonic hearing in toothed whales (Cetacea: Odontoceti) https://t.co/2bnMl40u6v #palaeontology #evolution #BiologyLetters https://t.co/0KDniEH91z

Dec 14, 2021 · 17 likes · 3 shares · 38,634 followers View post →
Royal Society Publishing
@RSocPublishing · X

Hear ye, hear ye. In time for #FossilFriday, researchers describe a new fossil of an early-diverging odontocete. The internal geometry of the ear bones were assessed, so could the animal hear high frequencies? Read the paper in #BiologyLetters & find out - https://t.co/PyZCB2aQrB https://t.co/fuTiZ55NBo

May 17, 2019 · 15 likes · 6 shares · 38,634 followers View post →
Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
@TomHoltzPaleo · X

Evidence for convergent evolution of ultrasonic hearing in toothed whales (Cetacea: Odontoceti) | Biology Letters https://t.co/p8nT5wjAbU

May 15, 2019 · 8 likes · 4 shares · 32,084 followers View post →
Royal Society Publishing
@RSocPublishing · X

Researchers describe a new fossil of an early-diverging odontocete. Given the ear geometry, could the animal hear high frequencies? Read the paper in #BiologyLetters and find out https://t.co/PyZCB2aQrB | It's #FossilFriday https://t.co/3tj4Dunimj

May 31, 2019 · 5 likes · 4 shares · 38,634 followers View post →

All mentions

Carlos Mauricio Peredo
@CMPeredo · X

RT @RSocPublishing: Evidence for convergent evolution of ultrasonic hearing in toothed whales (Cetacea: Odontoceti) https://t.co/2bnMl40u6v…

Dec 14, 2021 · 3 shares · 449 followers View post →
Richard_Carr
@EmuLarge · X

RT @RSocPublishing: Evidence for convergent evolution of ultrasonic hearing in toothed whales (Cetacea: Odontoceti) https://t.co/2bnMl40u6v…

Dec 14, 2021 · 3 shares · 1,855 followers View post →
Royal Society Publishing
@RSocPublishing · X

Evidence for convergent evolution of ultrasonic hearing in toothed whales (Cetacea: Odontoceti) https://t.co/2bnMl40u6v #palaeontology #evolution #BiologyLetters https://t.co/0KDniEH91z

Dec 14, 2021 · 17 likes · 3 shares · 38,634 followers View post →
Royal Society Publishing
@RSocPublishing · X

Happy #FossilFriday from #BiologyLetters => Evidence for convergent evolution of ultrasonic hearing in toothed whales (Cetacea: Odontoceti) https://t.co/2bnMl40u6v #palaeontology #evolution https://t.co/sk9fKcM0CH

Nov 19, 2021 · 2 likes · 1 share · 38,634 followers View post →
Brendan Takahashi (恐竜ブレンダン)
@DinosaurBrendan · X

Evidence for convergent evolution of ultrasonic hearing in toothed whales (Cetacea: Odontoceti) | Biology Letters https://t.co/HWcui4IVEH

Jun 15, 2019 · 334 followers View post →
NiHiListiC....
@sunnykoul8 · X

RT @RSocPublishing: Researchers describe a new fossil of an early-diverging odontocete. Given the ear geometry, could the animal hear high…

May 31, 2019 · 4 shares · 361 followers View post →
Royal Society Publishing
@RSocPublishing · X

Researchers describe a new fossil of an early-diverging odontocete. Given the ear geometry, could the animal hear high frequencies? Read the paper in #BiologyLetters and find out https://t.co/PyZCB2aQrB | It's #FossilFriday https://t.co/3tj4Dunimj

May 31, 2019 · 5 likes · 4 shares · 38,634 followers View post →
YA
@Adarchism · X

https://t.co/qySR2p8XjE Evidence for convergent evolution of ultrasonic hearing in toothed whales (Cetacea: Odontoceti).

May 22, 2019 · 1 like · 311 followers View post →
lorem ipsum
@1852m1 · X

RT @Blogozoic: Very interesting new paper from @raracicot, @CoastalPaleo & colleagues that shows adaptations for ultrasonic hearing may hav…

May 18, 2019 · 17 shares · 37 followers View post →
Yemane G. Tsige
@YemaneTsige · X

Evidence for convergent evolution of ultrasonic hearing in toothed whales (Cetacea: Odontoceti) | Biology Letters https://t.co/N0jvkanfVw

May 17, 2019 · 242 followers View post →
Fozzy Ⓐ
@FozzTheMozz · X

RT @RSocPublishing: Hear ye, hear ye. In time for #FossilFriday, researchers describe a new fossil of an early-diverging odontocete. The in…

May 17, 2019 · 6 shares · 353 followers View post →
Idearium
@an_idearium · X

RT @RSocPublishing: Hear ye, hear ye. In time for #FossilFriday, researchers describe a new fossil of an early-diverging odontocete. The in…

May 17, 2019 · 6 shares · 492 followers View post →
Richard_Carr
@EmuLarge · X

RT @RSocPublishing: Hear ye, hear ye. In time for #FossilFriday, researchers describe a new fossil of an early-diverging odontocete. The in…

May 17, 2019 · 6 shares · 1,855 followers View post →
Hearing Libraries
@HearingLibrary · X

RT @RSocPublishing: Hear ye, hear ye. In time for #FossilFriday, researchers describe a new fossil of an early-diverging odontocete. The in…

May 17, 2019 · 6 shares · 1,918 followers View post →
Eric de Marylebone
@EricdeMarylebon · X

RT @RSocPublishing: Hear ye, hear ye. In time for #FossilFriday, researchers describe a new fossil of an early-diverging odontocete. The in…

May 17, 2019 · 6 shares · 4,645 followers View post →
Royal Society Publishing
@RSocPublishing · X

Hear ye, hear ye. In time for #FossilFriday, researchers describe a new fossil of an early-diverging odontocete. The internal geometry of the ear bones were assessed, so could the animal hear high frequencies? Read the paper in #BiologyLetters & find out - https://t.co/PyZCB2aQrB https://t.co/fuTiZ55NBo

May 17, 2019 · 15 likes · 6 shares · 38,634 followers View post →
Chase Brownstein
@ChaseBrownstein · X

RT @Blogozoic: Very interesting new paper from @raracicot, @CoastalPaleo & colleagues that shows adaptations for ultrasonic hearing may hav…

May 16, 2019 · 17 shares · 1,766 followers View post →
Richard Hurst
@Richardhurst19 · X

RT @royalsociety: All living toothed whales echolocate, a trait shared by their ancestor. New research shows that earlier ancestors reveal…

May 16, 2019 · 5 shares · 15,307 followers View post →
Christina Nord
@ina820 · X

RT @royalsociety: All living toothed whales echolocate, a trait shared by their ancestor. New research shows that earlier ancestors reveal…

May 16, 2019 · 5 shares · 484 followers View post →
Chris Harrison
@chrisharriKings · X

RT @royalsociety: All living toothed whales echolocate, a trait shared by their ancestor. New research shows that earlier ancestors reveal…

May 16, 2019 · 5 shares · 1,256 followers View post →
NiHiListiC....
@sunnykoul8 · X

RT @royalsociety: All living toothed whales echolocate, a trait shared by their ancestor. New research shows that earlier ancestors reveal…

May 16, 2019 · 5 shares · 361 followers View post →
Tom Feilden
@BBCTomFeilden · X

RT @royalsociety: All living toothed whales echolocate, a trait shared by their ancestor. New research shows that earlier ancestors reveal…

May 16, 2019 · 5 shares · 11,625 followers View post →
The Royal Society
@royalsociety · X

All living toothed whales echolocate, a trait shared by their ancestor. New research shows that earlier ancestors reveal echolocation evolved multiple times, independently https://t.co/pE716RNEnf #biologyletters https://t.co/35Icl0fLNS

May 16, 2019 · 19 likes · 5 shares · 340,584 followers View post →
Gunnar
@evolveon · X

I hear ya: Evidence for convergent evolution of ultrasonic hearing in toothed whales (Cetacea: Odontoceti) | Biology Letters https://t.co/OQbMHsqEDE #evolution #echolocation #whale #dolphin #convergent

May 16, 2019 · 433 followers View post →
Dr Ellen Coombs
@EllenCoombs · X

RT @Blogozoic: Very interesting new paper from @raracicot, @CoastalPaleo & colleagues that shows adaptations for ultrasonic hearing may hav…

May 16, 2019 · 17 shares · 2,603 followers View post →
TroodonVet (Comms open on VGen)
@troodonvet · X

RT @TomHoltzPaleo: Evidence for convergent evolution of ultrasonic hearing in toothed whales (Cetacea: Odontoceti) | Biology Letters https:…

May 15, 2019 · 4 shares · 5,408 followers View post →
fernanda castano
@ferwen · X

Evidence for convergent evolution of ultrasonic hearing in toothed whales (Cetacea: Odontoceti) | Biology Letters https://t.co/Q6iH5uzECa

May 15, 2019 · 2,711 followers View post →
マーキュリー2世
@uranus_2 · X

Olympicetus avitusと類似する分類群の岩骨はステムのクジラと形態空間を共有。頭蓋顔面の形態データと合わせると、超音波の聴覚の適応はxenorophidsの時に1回、ハクジラクラウン生物群のステムグループで1回の計2回進化したと考えられる。Evidence for convergent evolution…https://t.co/ZcyFToS4kM

May 15, 2019 · 5,491 followers View post →
Serjoscha Evers
@SirJoscha · X

RT @Blogozoic: Very interesting new paper from @raracicot, @CoastalPaleo & colleagues that shows adaptations for ultrasonic hearing may hav…

May 15, 2019 · 17 shares · 2,247 followers View post →
Naoto HANDA
@Nao_hnd · X

RT @Blogozoic: Very interesting new paper from @raracicot, @CoastalPaleo & colleagues that shows adaptations for ultrasonic hearing may hav…

May 15, 2019 · 17 shares · 1,387 followers View post →
dr. Jamie MacLaren
@palaeotheoryum · X

RT @Blogozoic: Very interesting new paper from @raracicot, @CoastalPaleo & colleagues that shows adaptations for ultrasonic hearing may hav…

May 15, 2019 · 17 shares · 1,529 followers View post →
Jonathan
@Sontar22 · X

RT @TomHoltzPaleo: Evidence for convergent evolution of ultrasonic hearing in toothed whales (Cetacea: Odontoceti) | Biology Letters https:…

May 15, 2019 · 4 shares · 370 followers View post →
Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
@TomHoltzPaleo · X

Evidence for convergent evolution of ultrasonic hearing in toothed whales (Cetacea: Odontoceti) | Biology Letters https://t.co/p8nT5wjAbU

May 15, 2019 · 8 likes · 4 shares · 32,084 followers View post →
Nick Crumpton no longer posting
@LSmonster · X

RT @Blogozoic: Very interesting new paper from @raracicot, @CoastalPaleo & colleagues that shows adaptations for ultrasonic hearing may hav…

May 15, 2019 · 17 shares · 3,388 followers View post →
Kuzco
@Kuzco297 · X

RT @Blogozoic: Very interesting new paper from @raracicot, @CoastalPaleo & colleagues that shows adaptations for ultrasonic hearing may hav…

May 15, 2019 · 17 shares · 283 followers View post →
Dr David Hocking
@DPHocking · X

RT @Blogozoic: Very interesting new paper from @raracicot, @CoastalPaleo & colleagues that shows adaptations for ultrasonic hearing may hav…

May 15, 2019 · 17 shares · 1,478 followers View post →
Erich Fitzgerald
@emgfitzgerald · X

RT @Blogozoic: Very interesting new paper from @raracicot, @CoastalPaleo & colleagues that shows adaptations for ultrasonic hearing may hav…

May 15, 2019 · 17 shares · 1,739 followers View post →
Ashley W Poust
@AshPoust · X

RT @Blogozoic: Very interesting new paper from @raracicot, @CoastalPaleo & colleagues that shows adaptations for ultrasonic hearing may hav…

May 15, 2019 · 17 shares · 2,508 followers View post →
Dr. Tanja Wintrich
@TanjaWintrich · X

RT @Blogozoic: Very interesting new paper from @raracicot, @CoastalPaleo & colleagues that shows adaptations for ultrasonic hearing may hav…

May 15, 2019 · 17 shares · 185 followers View post →
Travis Park
@Blogozoic · X

Very interesting new paper from @raracicot, @CoastalPaleo & colleagues that shows adaptations for ultrasonic hearing may have evolved twice in toothed whales! Congrats to the team! https://t.co/9XmNBlGxmy https://t.co/Q9QPCF1BPv

May 15, 2019 · 39 likes · 17 shares · 1,693 followers View post →
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