Hidden life stories in fish ears

Fossilized fish ear stones – known as otoliths – can reveal far more than previously thought. In a recent study, a team of palaeontologists from the University of Vienna demonstrated that a refined electron microscopy technique can make even the finest growth rings visible. These microscopic structures may reflect a fish's life story down to just a few hours – an important breakthrough for understanding fish growth, biomineralization, and environmental change across millennia. The study was recently published in Limnology and Oceanography: Methods.