Alligators have the ability to hear well both on land and underwater, scientists say
MIAMI — If you thought alligators were terrifying enough, then you might want to stop reading — since scientists have found out that they have the extraordinary ability to hear on land and underwater.
According to a June 2023 study published in The Anatomical Record of the American Association for Anatomy, researchers at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine have found that alligators have specialized ears that allow them to hear well above and below the water's surface.
"An alligator's ear is located just behind the eye, but it is covered by an earflap to keep water out of the ear," stated a Facebook from the University of Georgia's Coastal Ecology Lab.
According to the UGA Coastal Ecology Lab and the published study, scientists dissected nine alligator ears of various sizes and ages to see how the muscles worked to aid in the reptile's hearing.
Through this, they proposed that the combination of specialized cartilage found in their ears and the tympanic muscles (muscles in the inner ear) allow for alligators to adjust the tension of the tympanic membrane, which is more commonly known as the ear drum. By adjusting the tension of their eardrums, alligators can "tune their hearing" to land or water.
Additionally, the scientists believe that this eardrum manipulation is a part of an alligator's "submergence reflex," which occurs automatically when the reptile goes underwater.
"It is important to distinguish that this does not mean an alligator can hear as well underwater as it can on land, but rather it has an adaptation that allows it to hear better underwater than other animals," the UGA Coastal Ecology Lab stated.
