petrous
adjective
pe·trous ˈpe-trəs 
ˈpē-
ˈpē- : of, relating to, or constituting the exceptionally hard and dense portion of the human temporal bone that contains the internal auditory organs
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Academics analyzed petrous bones located at the base of the skull of two sets of remains found in the Casa del Fabbro, or House of the Craftsman. 
Elizabeth Djinis, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 May 2022 Efforts to fully sequence the genetic material of an elderly woman whose skeletal remains were found near the man’s failed because there were too many gaps in the DNA taken from her petrous, according to the study authors. Aylin Woodward, WSJ, 26 May 2022 To optimize their chance of success, the researchers targeted the DNA stored in the petrous, a super dense bone that encases the inner ear. National Geographic, 22 Jan. 2020 More recently, scientists have used the petrous bone of the skull, a highly dense bone near the ear, to extract ancient DNA. Jay Bennett, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 May 2012 But then Johannes Krause and his team at Germany’s Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History tested the samples from a handful of petrous bones. Andrew Curry, National Geographic, 12 July 2019 The surge in aDNA data is due to cheaper, faster methods for reading genetic code, as well as the discovery three years ago that the dense petrous bone of the inner ear can preserve up to 100 times more aDNA than other skeletal parts. Bridget Alex, Discover Magazine, 1 Jan. 2019 But if there’s any hope of obtaining some, the sample would likely come from the teeth or petrous bone, since their extreme density protects DNA well. Christian Als, Smithsonian, 29 May 2017 All of those came from the petrous part of the temporal bone, which is the tough part of the skull behind the ear, from five different individuals. Nicholas St. Fleur, New York Times, 27 July 2017 See More
Elizabeth Djinis, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 May 2022 Efforts to fully sequence the genetic material of an elderly woman whose skeletal remains were found near the man’s failed because there were too many gaps in the DNA taken from her petrous, according to the study authors. Aylin Woodward, WSJ, 26 May 2022 To optimize their chance of success, the researchers targeted the DNA stored in the petrous, a super dense bone that encases the inner ear. National Geographic, 22 Jan. 2020 More recently, scientists have used the petrous bone of the skull, a highly dense bone near the ear, to extract ancient DNA. Jay Bennett, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 May 2012 But then Johannes Krause and his team at Germany’s Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History tested the samples from a handful of petrous bones. Andrew Curry, National Geographic, 12 July 2019 The surge in aDNA data is due to cheaper, faster methods for reading genetic code, as well as the discovery three years ago that the dense petrous bone of the inner ear can preserve up to 100 times more aDNA than other skeletal parts. Bridget Alex, Discover Magazine, 1 Jan. 2019 But if there’s any hope of obtaining some, the sample would likely come from the teeth or petrous bone, since their extreme density protects DNA well. Christian Als, Smithsonian, 29 May 2017 All of those came from the petrous part of the temporal bone, which is the tough part of the skull behind the ear, from five different individuals. Nicholas St. Fleur, New York Times, 27 July 2017 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English petrouse, petrous, borrowed from Latin petrōsus "rocky, stony," from petra "rock" (borrowed from Greek pétra) + -ōsus -ous — more at petro-
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
petrous
adjective
pe·trous ˈpe-trəs ˈpē-
ˈpē- : of, relating to, or constituting the exceptionally hard and dense portion of the human temporal bone that contains the internal auditory organs and is a pyramidal process wedged in at the base of the skull between the sphenoid and occipital bones with its lower half exposed on the surface of the skull and pierced by the external auditory canal