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A CT-based comparison of 10 squalomorph shark species found a clear anatomical contrast: hexanchiforms have more robust inner-ear labyrinth spaces, while squaliforms have more slender ones. The finding reveals diversity in the structures sharks use for hearing and balance, but it does not prove that evolutionary relationships matter more than habitat or diet. The authors say broader sampling and quantitative analysis are needed to distinguish those influences.
What did scientists discover about shark ears?
The study, published in The Anatomical Record on September 20, 2026, compared the skeletal labyrinths of 10 living squalomorph shark species. The labyrinth is the bony or cartilaginous space that houses inner-ear structures, including the semicircular canals and ampullae. These structures are part of the sensory system involved in hearing and equilibrium.
Using computed tomography (CT), the researchers described the labyrinths’ anatomy. Cal Poly Humboldt characterized the process as digitally dissecting shark heads in three dimensions. The study reports a difference between two shark orders:
- Hexanchiformes: more robust spaces housing the semicircular canals and ampullae.
- Squaliformes: more slender skeletal labyrinths.
The comparison included Chlamydoselachus anguineus, Heptranchias perlo, Hexanchus griseus, Notorynchus cepedianus, Squatina californica, Centrophorus squamosus, Squaliolus laticaudus, Oxynotus centrina, Isistius brasiliensis and Etmopterus bullisi. The sample describes those species; it is not a population-wide estimate of shark diversity.
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The paper’s abstract and data-availability statement identify the study and report that supporting data are openly available through MorphoSource, project ID 000450472.
Do the differences show that evolution matters more than environment?
No. The result is a comparative anatomical pattern, not a test showing that evolutionary history outweighs environmental effects. The university release notes that sharks with similar diets and habitats can have different ear shapes, and suggests that closer relatives may share inner-ear traits across environments. That is a possible interpretation, not a demonstrated causal result.
The paper’s abstract calls for more species, finer ecological categories and quantitative comparisons with phylogeny, locomotion and habitat. The accessible abstract does not provide scan settings, detailed statistical methods, effect sizes or formal results separating those influences. Allison Bronson, the corresponding author, described the work as a new way to explore shark evolution; that framing does not establish which factor explains more of the observed variation.
Does habitat affect shark inner ears?
It may be associated with some aspects of inner-ear variation, but the 2026 CT study does not settle the question. Earlier research examined different samples and anatomical measures, so its findings should be treated as context rather than a direct replication.
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| Study | What it examined | Reported finding |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 MRI study | Inner-ear variation in 26 elasmobranchs, using MRI-based measurements | Reported three main axes of variation associated with diet and habitat, including larger inner ears in piscivorous than non-piscivorous species and in reef-associated than oceanic species. |
| 2023 shark maculae study | Sensory hair-cell organization in nine shark species | Reported higher hair-cell density and total number in vertically oriented maculae among water-column feeders than benthic feeders; the authors noted limited data and the need for broader assessment. |
| 2016 review | Variation across fish auditory systems | Described broad inner-ear diversity and identified the forces selecting for particular forms, and the link between morphology and hearing ability, as open questions. |
These studies concern distinct things: MRI measurements of inner-ear variation, microscopic patterns of sensory hair cells, and CT descriptions of the skeletal labyrinth. They cannot be combined into a single conclusion about how well a shark hears or what caused a particular labyrinth shape. The accessible abstract for the 2026 study does not establish how skeletal shape relates to hearing performance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the study can—and cannot—tell us
- It can show: the sampled hexanchiform and squaliform sharks differ in the reported robustness of their skeletal labyrinth spaces.
- It cannot establish: that evolution explains the contrast better than habitat, diet or locomotion.
- It does not report: a population-level estimate, hearing-performance comparison, or formal test isolating the effects of phylogeny and ecology in the accessible abstract.
Kaci Dodd and Isamar Lopez-Argueta are joint first authors; Allison Bronson is the corresponding author. The paper’s emphasis on broader taxonomic coverage and quantitative analysis is central to interpreting its result: the observed difference is a useful starting point for testing explanations, not a final answer about why shark ears vary.
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