Dr. Dan KillamMar 9
While oysters lack ears, they still can hear, using statocysts, their balance organ. Researchers have found playing the soundscape from a healthy oyster reef attracts larvae to settle! They have evolved to settle on their ancestors to build reefs, and sound is a useful cue of a good spot! https://phys.org/news/2022-10-sea-soundscapes-summon-thousands-baby.html #clamFacts
Playing sea soundscapes can summon thousands of baby oysters, and help regrow oyster reefs

Imagine you're in a food court and spoilt for choice. How will you choose where to eat? It might be the look of the food, the smell, or even the chatter of satisfied customers.

Phys.org
Show threadshomMar 9
@dantheclamman that's really neat that the larvae vibe to good sounds. I do wonder though, oysters don't have ears but use their balance organs for hearing and we use our ears as balancing organs, is this a coincidence? Or are balancing and hearing linked functions?!
Show threadDr. Dan Killam
@shom yes, I don't think they're always linked, but in this case it's convergent! Our liquid filled inner ear and the statocyst, a rolling little ball in a pouch, are both good at the double purpose of detecting gravity and sound :)
Mar 9 at 2:21amWeb
Show threadshomMar 9
@dantheclamman that's so neat (and squishy), thank you.
You go you little ball in goopy pouch, thanks for the beats and balance!
Show threadtiny_mMar 9
@dantheclamman @shom this is so cool. thanks for sharing
Show threadWharrrrrrgarblMar 9
@dantheclamman @shom you might be interested to know that the human utricle and saccule are organs that use otoliths to detect gravity and linear acceleration. The mechanoreceptive hair cells in the semicircular canals, the utricles, and the saccules are homologous to those in fish ears and lateral lines, if I understand correctly, but I've never been able to find data on whether that's true of mollusk statocysts.
Show threadDr. Dan KillamMar 9
@Wharrrrrrgarbl @shom yes hearing is a real mess of homologous and analogous traits! Really fascinating how many layers of adaptation happened over the eras. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6766920/
The vertebrate middle and inner ear: A short overview

The evolution of the various hearing adaptations is connected to major structural changes in nearly all groups of vertebrates. Besides hearing, the detection of acceleration and orientation in space are key functions of this mechanosensory system. ...

PubMed Central (PMC)