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The inner ear, which processes sound, is protected by one of the densest bones in the body, the otic capsule, making it difficult to visualize its tiny structures with conventional imaging.

FB, forebrain; FP, floor plate; H, heart; HB, hindbrain; L, lens; M, melanocytes; MB, midbrain; O, otic vesicle; SC, spinal cord.

One of the main commodities returned on those voyages of centuries ago were travelers’ tales,* stories of alien lands and ex otic creatures that evoked our sense of wonder and stimulated future exploration.

There were sup­posed to be only two primary lines of descent, the eukaryotic and the prokary­otic.

The anterior rami terminate at about the mid-level of the orbit, and the medial rami articulate firmly with the anterolateral corner of the otic capsule.