Bottlenose Dolphin Ear 0003

3D Volume Rendering Technique (VRT) reconstruction from CT scans of the ear (bulla) of a Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) demonstrating the position of the cochlea (spiral) within the transparent bony periotic bone. Sitting ventral to the periotic bone is the u-shaped tympanic bone which houses the middle ear cavity and ossicles (malleaus, incus, stapes). Specimen courtesy of Dr. Sam Ridgway, Department of Pathology (UCSD).