The first pharyngeal pouch syndrome associates middle ear anomalies to the malleus and incus structures as well as to the non-differentiation of the annular stapedial ligament.
The auditory ossicles (malleus, incus and stapes), originate to form the second pharyngeal pouch are embedded in the tympanic cavity and normally appear during the first half of fetal life.
Another possible explanation for the small bones is that they were originally located in the throat and were pushed into the pharyngeal pouch during fossilization.
If this was the case, the bones of these smaller individuals were originally located in the throat and were pushed into the pharyngeal pouch as the animal fossilized.