A new study has revealed that abnormal bony growths in the ear canal are common in Neanderthals, stated new study published in the open-access journal PLOS ONEby Erik Trinkaus of Washington University and colleagues.
External auditory exostoses are dense bony growths that protrude into the ear canal. Such exostoses have been noted in ancient humans, but little research has examined how the condition might inform our understanding of past human lifestyles.
Otitis Externa / Swimmer's Ear Infection
Otitis externa, also commonly referred as Swimmer''s Ear, is an inflammatory condition that affects the external ear canal, which is the passage that connects the eardrum to the outer visible ear.
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In this study, Trinkaus and colleagues examined well-preserved ear canals in the remains of 77 ancient humans, including Neanderthals and early modern humans from the Middle to Late Pleistocene Epoch of western Eurasia. While the early modern human samples exhibited similar frequencies of exostoses to modern human samples, the condition was exceptionally common in Neanderthals. Approximately half of the 23 Neanderthal remains examined exhibited mild to severe exostoses, at least twice the frequency seen in almost any other population studied.
The authors suggest that the most likely explanation for this pattern is that these Neanderthals spent a significant amount of time collecting resources in aquatic settings. However, the geographic distribution of exostoses seen in Neanderthals does not exhibit a definitive correlation with proximity to ancient water sources nor to cooler climates as would be expected. The authors propose that multiple factors were probably involved in this high abundance of exostoses, probably including environmental factors as well as genetic predispositions.
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Exercise-induced obstruction of the larynx is often a cause of respiratory symptoms in athletes and is particularly prevalent in swimmers.
Trinkaus adds: "An exceptionally high frequency of external auditory exostoses (bony growths in the ear canal; "swimmer's ear") among the Neandertals, and a more modest level among high latitude earlier Upper Paleolithic modern humans, indicate a higher frequency of aquatic resource exploitation among both groups of humans than is suggested by the archeological record. In particular, it reinforces the foraging abilities and resource diversity of the Neandertals."
Source: Eurekalert
Novel Method to Diagnose Breathing Problems in Swimmers
Exercise-induced obstruction of the larynx is often a cause of respiratory symptoms in athletes and is particularly prevalent in swimmers.
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Trinkaus adds: "An exceptionally high frequency of external auditory exostoses (bony growths in the ear canal; "swimmer's ear") among the Neandertals, and a more modest level among high latitude earlier Upper Paleolithic modern humans, indicate a higher frequency of aquatic resource exploitation among both groups of humans than is suggested by the archeological record. In particular, it reinforces the foraging abilities and resource diversity of the Neandertals."
Source: Eurekalert
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 Quiz on Ear InfectionsEar infections are generally classified depending upon the part of ear affected. They mostly affect the ear canal and the middle ear. Test your knowledge on ear infections by taking this quiz. | Advertisement
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