Have You Ever Thought About Birds’ Ears? Evolution of the Avian Inner Ear
Dr. Garth M. Spellman
January 25, 2021
7 PM MST
Free and open to the public. Register via Zoom
Garth Spellman, curator of ornithology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, talks about how examination of birds’ inner-ear mechanics (literally, using bird cadavers) reveals how environmental change, both recent and ancient, has driven evolution of the anatomy that allows birds to hear. Working with postdoctoral research associate John Peacock, Spellman hopes that within a few years, we’ll know enough about bird ears to model what sounds their avian ancestors could hear, too.