Ear - a complex organ of animals, designed to perceive sound vibrations. In most chords, in addition to the perception of sound, it performs one more function: it is responsible for the position of the body in space and the ability to maintain balance. The vertebrate ear is a paired organ that is located in the temporal bones of the skull. In mammals (including humans), the ear is confined to the outside by the auricles.
The human ear perceives sound waves with a frequency of approximately 8 [1] to 20 000 Hz (vibrations per second), which corresponds to the wavelength (in air under normal conditions) from 20.6 m to 1.7 cm.
In the process of evolutionary development, the ear originated in the primordial ancestors of vertebrates from special skin sensory organs (lateral organs).