Wouldn’t this show up in the fossil record?
An ear infection bad enough to kill would show some erosion of the skulls ear canal, no?
An ear infection bad enough to kill would show some erosion of the skulls ear canal, no?
It should. Chronic otitis media (inner ear infection) leads to mastoiditis - an infection of the mastoid bone of the skull right behind the ear. That would scar that area of the skull. That was a big problem in the Native peoples of old Alaska pre-antibiotics. This can lead to deafness and then the saber tooth tiger can sneak up on you more easily and we all know what happens next!
I would think so. Physicians can look at people like me and determine due to canal deformities that we have had a history of severe ear infections. Im guessing it should be as easy as hiring a local ENT to take a quick look at the pile of patients on the table, its not like there is any tissue blocking the view.