Human ear variation

Human ear variation

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Dr Jekyll

Original Poster:

23,820 posts

261 months

Saturday 16th August 2014
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Does the wide variation in the external size and shape of human ears correlate with hearing ability?

On the one hand you can argue that if it was relevant some 'best' ear shape would have evolved by now. But if it isn't why have such complicated shaped ears at all?

Could it be that there is some small variation in sensitivity to sounds from certain directions or certain frequencies? So if you have relatives with different ears from you they can detect danger you might have missed, thereby improving your chances of having offspring and passing on the genes for your ears to some and granddad's ears to others.