The Reichert-Gaupp theory was developed in the 1800s by Karl Bogislaus Reichert and Ernst Gaup, and it claimed that the mammalian middle ear had evolved from skull bones that were present in the majority of tetrapods, including the reptilian lineage. Millions of years ago, the common ancestor of mammals were subject to a physio-anatomical change that would reverberate (quite literally) till today: the articular and quadrate bones both became obsolete in regards to jaw function and migrated to the middle ear. Along with the columella, the quadrate and articular bones evolved into what is known today as the stirrup, anvil and hammer. The stapes, the incus and the malleus.

Millions of years of evolution and natural selection have given us the ear as it is today. The ear enables not only hearing in mammals, but balance as well, which justifies how hearing impairment is linked with a plethora of comorbidities. At PharmaLegacy, we understand how loud hearing impairment can reverberate in a patient’s life. With your studies and our preclinical models, we can make that change. Get in touch now.