How ear bones evolved

EVOLUTION HAS NO foresight. But occasionally it flukes something ideally suited to develop into something else. Biologists call this preadaptation, and it seems to explain the existence of three small bones, known as ossicles, that are found in the ears of mammals. Ossicles evolved from jaw bones, and the fossil evidence indicates this happened three times. That suggests the bones in question were indeed preadapted. And a newly discovered Cretaceous mammal called Jeholbaatar kielanae may help ex...