Not everyone has the ability to move their ears, and understanding this peculiarity lies in the structure and flexibility of the cartilage in the ear.
In a fascinating discovery, scientists have uncovered that the auricular muscles, once thought to be merely reflexive, play a more significant role within the human body than previously believed. These muscles, located around the ears, continue to carry out various functions despite being considered vestigial structures.
These muscles, which include the auricularis superior, anterior, and posterior, have their origins in the top, side, and back of the ear, respectively. They attach to the skull and scalp, surrounding the ear. In most mammals, these muscles help rotate the ears to localize sounds, but in humans, they have lost much of their original function around 25 million years ago.
However, a subset of people can consciously control these muscles to wiggle their ears, indicating that the trait has not been completely lost in the human population. This persistence of the ability to move ears is a vestigial trait from distant ancestors, similar to other vestigial organs or muscles in the human body that have lost their primary function due to changes in lifestyle and environment but remain present to varying degrees.
A 2025 study in Frontiers in Neuroscience further revealed that the auricular muscles activate when humans listen intently, especially in situations with competing sounds. This activation suggests that these muscles may be part of a mechanism that helps humans pay attention.
Interestingly, some individuals can also voluntarily control the tensor tympani muscle inside the ear to create a rumbling sound, another related ear muscle function that few people can achieve.
Despite being vestigial structures in the human body, the auricular muscles were once indispensable to human ancestors for changing the shape of the pinna or auricle to funnel sound to the eardrums. This ability was crucial for survival as it helped ancestors to hear more effectively in noisy environments.
Today, while the primary function of the auricular muscles has been lost, the fact that some individuals can still voluntarily control these muscles serves as a testament to the rich history of human evolution. It is a reminder that while some traits may appear to be vestigial, they can still hold surprising functions and may persist in some individuals due to genetic and neurological variation.
The auricular muscles, including the auricularis superior, anterior, and posterior, may have lost their original function in human ancestors over 25 million years ago, but a 2025 study in Frontiers in Neuroscience suggests that these muscles can activate when humans listen intently, especially in situations with competing sounds, indicating a potential role in health-and-wellness and attention. Furthermore, some individuals can consciously control these muscles and the tensor tympani muscle inside the ear, demonstrating their significance in science and medical-conditions, and the enduring effects of human evolution on the body.
