Fossil Whale Inner Ear Bone

This fossil inner ear whale bone is an auditory bulla, tympanic bulla or put more simply part of the protective bony cover to the middle ear system of an ancient whale.   Similar to the temporal bone in humans. This may be from a type of sperm whale that lived during the Neogene.  They seem to have been of denser bone than the rest of the whale skeleton, so they were better preserved.  Recent studies indicate that many features found today in dolphins may have evolved to hearing at ultrasonic frequencies.  This fossil is known to be appreciated and used in meditation and spiritual practices.  Scientists debate that these fossils are between 5 to 15 million years old from the Miocene Epoch, which was a period when many recognizably modern animals are said to have evolved. Includes acrylic stand, fossil identification card and USPS first class shipping within US.