Fields of study

Extant owls are ideal for studying the evolution of hearing and nocturnality, because they lead both nocturnal (e.g., Barn Owls, Tyto alba) and diurnal (e.g., Burrowing Owl, Athene cunicularia) lifestyles. Barn owls (Tyto alba) are highly specialized nocturnal hunters that can catch small vertebrates in total darkness using auditory cues. Their hearing performance is due to two factors: 1) asymmetry of the positions of the external ears and 2) their long basilar papilla of the inner ear. Cranial asymmetry is widespread among owls and has been hypothesized to independently evolve up to five times in their evolutionary history, but this has never been quantified. While many owls appear to have relatively lengthy basilar papillae, no broad investigations of their inner ears have been conducted. The lack of quantitative investigations of these features leaves open questions about hearing evolution in the living bird group with the most auditory adaptations. Recent research suggests some dinosaurs had excellent hearing and nocturnal habits like today's owls, but there is a similar gap in our knowledge of how these sensory innovations evolved. My study aims to investigate cranial asymmetry and basilar papilla evolution across the living owl lineage and other birds to understand how these features correlate with hearing ability and nocturnal habits. The findings of this study can be extended to the fossil record, where its findings can be used to understand hearing adaptations of the extinct dinosaurian lineages that lead to owls.