Seals have a unique superpower in their ears, and we finally know how it evolved

Art by Jaime Bran Have you ever tried to talk to someone while underwater? No matter how loud you might shout, it always sounds muffled. But why? As with many things in our bodies, the answer lies with evolution. Humans evolved on land, and our ears are adapted to collect and interpret sound travelling through the air. Unfortunately, this makes our ears pretty much useless underwater. Most mammals can either hear well only in air (dogs, humans) or water (whales). But there is one group of…