Part of your ear is hundreds of millions of years old

For some time scientists have known that our vestibular system includes two different sensory channels in the inner ear that transmit information to the brain.  

The brain then sends signals to eyes and muscles to help us move around and orient ourselves without falling over. But  a new study by Dr. Kathleen Cullen, who did her research at McGill University in Montreal, has found that these two channels transmit that information in very different ways. One is very slow and smooth, while the other is fast and precise.  

The researchers believe the 'slow' channel is an evolutionary remnant from the time before organisms moved onto land 300 million years ago. The 'fast' channel helps us navigate on land where quicker processing about our environment is required than in water.  

It is hoped that understanding how the two channels work may improve treatment of balance disorders in the future.  

Additional Links:

Nature paper: Self-motion evokes precise spike timing in the primate vestibular system