Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience

Dr. Matthew Mason: Further Information...

University Physiologist Tel: +44 (0)1223 333829, Fax: +44 (0)1223 333840, E-mail: mjm68@cam.ac.uk

Mason, M.J. (2003a) Morphology of the middle ear of golden moles (Chrysochloridae). Journal of Zoology 260: 391-403.

In this paper, I describe in detail the middle ear morphology of golden moles in the genera Amblysomus, Chrysochloris, Chrysospalax, Cryptochloris and Eremitalpa. The auditory ossicles are illustrated, and the paper also includes photomicrographs and X-rays of chrysochlorid ears. Apart from Amblysomus species, these animals possess massively hypertrophied mallei, the morphologies of the malleus heads varying from club-shaped in Chrysochloris and Cryptochloris through pear-shaped in Eremitalpa to almost spherical in Chrysospalax. Another very unusual feature of the ears of some of these animals, which had never previously been described, is the unusual dorsomedial (rather than horizontal) projection of the stapes from the incus. It is proposed that these unusual adaptations may be used to enhance seismic sensitivity through a form of inertial bone conduction, a mechanism expanded upon and modelled in the sister paper (Mason, 2003b). Evolutionary pathways which may have led to this are discussed.

It is worth noting that the ossicles of Eremitalpa illustrated in Fig. 5 are those of the subspecies Eremitalpa granti granti. We later discovered (Mason et al., 2006) that the malleus morphology in particular is rather different in the other subspecies, Eremitalpa granti namibensis. Illustrations of the intact E.g. namibensis ossicles can be found in Mason (2007) and Mason & Narins (2010).

To access this paper via the Wiley website, please click here.

Please note the following corrections:

There is a mistake in the caption to Figure 6, p.398. Part (a) should read Chrysochloris stuhlmanni and part (b) should read Chrysochloris asiatica. This has been published as an erratum: Journal of Zoology (2004) 264: 429.

Although I note in the paper that I was unable to find any stapedius muscle fibres in serial sections of Chrysochloris, concluding that the stapedius is ligamentous in this species, I have subsequently identified the stapedius muscle belly in the same serial sections.

Please contact me if you would like to be sent a reprint copy of this paper.