The amphibian auditory periphery is traditionally viewed from one of two perspectives: (1) that it is degenerate and by implication derived from the amniote condition or (2) that it represents, at least in most frogs, a simple intermediate condition between the ears of rhipidistian fishes and reptiles. These two perspectives, or various hybrids, guide modern workers in the design of their investigations and the interpretation of the data resulting from these studies. The development and diversity of the amphibian auditory periphery is reviewed and compared to that of amniotes. The otic region in key fossil tetrapods is reviewed. Our current concepts of otic homology are reviewed and some alternative homologies are suggested. This review indicates that the most parsimonius perspective on the amphibian auditory periphery is that it represents a unique experiment in aerial hearing unrelated to that found in modern amniotes. The implications of this perspective for modern morphological and experimental work are discussed. [Work supported by NSF.]