If You Have A Tiny Hole Above Your Ear, You Have An Exceptionally Rare Trait Most People Don’t
Polina | CanvaIn case you’re unaware, the human body is both a wonderful, magical place. They're also sometimes kinda gross. How they manage to be both at the same time is pretty much a testament to all of the changes the human form has gone through since time immemorial.
In one way or another, we have an idea about the typical shape and normal perception of what the parts of the human body generally look like and the functions they perform. But there are also a series of bits and pieces from our ancestors that have stayed trapped inside, floating around in our gene pools. But some people get to show off those hidden gems in their DNA.
If you have a tiny hole above your ear, you’re part of a surprisingly rare group:
A tiny hole over your ear is called a preauricular pit, which is a visible sign of ancient ancestors
The hole is what’s known as a preauricular sinus (or also a pit or fissure), which is a hereditary birth defect, meaning it can be passed down from parents to their children, and was first documented by a scientist by the name of Van Heusinger way back in 1864.
This tiny hole is what evolutionary biologist Neil Shubin believes is a throwback to when our ancestors were first coming out of the water. According to him, they are an evolutionary remnant of fish gills, which is pretty amazing if you think about it. However, this theory has yet to be scientifically tested, so don't go embracing your half-fishness just yet.
Tiny holes can occur on one or both sides of the ear
The tiny hole or holes are attached to a sinus tract that shouldn't be there, hence why it's often called a preauricular sinus. The tiny hole appears on the upper ear and is between the face and the cartilage of the ear's rim.
It is also not entirely clear how much of the population has preauricular pits. Research has suggested that as little as one percent of babies have preauricular sinuses. However, other evidence suggests that the number may be as high as ten percent.
According to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), while there’s nothing wrong with having a preauricular sinus, and people who have them don't experience any kind of abnormal symptoms, they do sometimes get the nasty habit of becoming infected, but it can be cleared up with some simple antibiotics.
"Preauricular pits are congenital, meaning children are born with this malformation when ear development goes awry early in gestation," says CHOP. "However, the malformation is not associated with hearing impairments, and is only rarely associated with a genetic syndrome involving other problems."
So, if you or one of the people you know has one of these preauricular sinuses, you’re one of a very rare few who are flaunting one of the prehistoric changes our bodies have been through over the years.
Merethe Najjar is a professional writer, editor, and award-winning fiction author from Atlanta, Georgia. She has had multiple publications featured in The Aviator Magazine, Infinite Press, Yahoo, BRIDES, and others.
