ArticleRoyal Society open science2022
'Ear stones' in crocodylians: a cross-species comparative and ontogenetic survey of otolith structures.
Article in Royal Society open science, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.
- Otolithic organs and vibratory sensitivity in frogs: do saccular otoconial volumes vary according to lifestyle?Journal of comparative physiology. A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology · 2026Review
- The pseudosuchian record in paleohistology: A small review.Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007) · 2025Review
- Increasing the impact of vertebrate scientific collections through 3D imaging: The openVertebrate (oVert) Thematic Collections Network.Bioscience · 2024Review
- Neuroanatomy of the mekosuchine crocodylian Trilophosuchus rackhami Willis, 1993.Journal of anatomy · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The vestibular system of the inner ear is a crucial sensory organ, involved in the sensation of balance and equilibrium. It consists of three semicircular canals that sense angular rotations of the head and the vestibule that detects linear acceleration and gravity. The vestibule often contains structures, known as the otoliths or 'ear stones'. Otoliths are present in many vertebrates and are particularly well known from the fossil record of fish, but surprisingly have not been described in detail in most tetrapods, living or extinct. Here, we present for the first time a survey of the otoliths of a broad sample of extant crocodylian species, based on computed tomography scans. We find that otoliths are present in numerous crocodylian species of different growth stages, and they continue to increase in size during ontogeny, with positive allometry compared to skull length. Our results confirm that otoliths are a common component of the crocodylian vestibular system, and suggest they play an important role in sensory detection. Otoliths are likely common, but overlooked, constituents of the inner ear in tetrapods, and a broader study of their size, shape and distribution promises insight into sensory abilities.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.