otolith

[oht-l-ith]

noun

1. Anatomy, Zoology.,  a calcareous concretion in the internal ear of vertebrates.

2. statolith.

otolith

/ ˈəʊtəʊˌlɪθ /

noun

1. any of the granules of calcium carbonate in the inner ear of vertebrates. Movement of otoliths, caused by a change in position of the animal, stimulates sensory hair cells, which convey the information to the brain

2. another name for statolith

Other Word Forms

• otolithic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of otolith¹

First recorded in 1825–35; oto- + -lith

Example Sentences

Using otolith microchemistry -- the measuring of the chemical composition of the layers of bone that grow in a fish's ear as it matures -- Pease determined approximately where each snook had lived during its lifetime.

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The otolith, found behind the brains of bony fish, has long been used reveal a fish's age, but the new research used the chemistry of tuna otoliths to measure the pace of life of bluefin tuna.

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Professor Trueman, who pioneered the otolith decoding method, explained: "All fish have a stony tissue in their ear called an otolith, or 'ear stone', which enables them to perceive noise and to balance. Our new work uses variations in the levels of natural stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen in the otolith to reveal each tuna's individual metabolic rate. This can tell us when waters are getting too hot for the fish to handle -it's like a natural fitness tracker."

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When processed properly, scientists like Lackmann can examine the otolith with a compound microscope and count the layers, like the rings on a tree, and learn the age of the fish.

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It opened Sept. 1 and runs until March 4, 2023; currently on display is Part II, featuring videos by Theaster Gates, the Otolith Group, Francis Alÿs and Lucy Raven.

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