Why do some people have the ability to wiggle their ear?
What makes this skill possible for some and impossible for others? What makes it possible for some people to wiggle their ears and impossible for others? The anterior auricular muscles pull the ear forward. The superior auricular muscles lift it slightly. And the posterior auricular muscles pull it backward. Together, these movements create what we recognize as ear wiggling.
While everyone has auricular muscles, only a small number of people can consciously flex these muscles to wiggle their ears. Why?
The ability of wiggle your ear may seem to be a hereditary characteristic, but that’s not the case. In a 1949 study, it was found that most ear-wigglers have at least one parent that can do the same thing. However, in five cases out of 24, both parents were unable to do so. This indicates that ear wiggles don’t follow the usual dominant inheritance pattern of traits such as freckles or brown eyes. We’d expect ear wiggling to be more common if it was truly dominant. What’s the real reason behind this fascinating ability, if not genetics? Some of the neural pathways in the brain are under conscious control while others are not. We know that the facial nerve controls auricular muscle. Most people are unable to control the neural pathway that controls ear wiggling because they cannot control it.
A 1995 study of 238 women and 204 men suggests that gender could influence the ability to wiggle your ears. Approximately 22% of the participants in the study were able move only one ear while 18% were able move both simultaneously. Men were significantly more likely than women to be able move both ears simultaneously. You might wonder if being able to move your ears at the same time offers any advantage. Animals like cats, dogs and monkeys use ear movements to track sounds. This is important for detecting predators and prey. Over millions of years humans have evolved to depend less on hearing. As a result, the auricular muscles became weaker and are now considered a vestigial feature–an evolutionary leftover that’s no longer necessary but hasn’t completely disappeared.
Despite its seemingly trivial nature, ear wiggling could offer real benefits. Jerome Maller, a neuroscientist from Monash University Australia, believes that ear-wiggling can be used to help improve recovery following strokes or traumatic brain injury. This relates to the concept of Neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability, in response to experience, learning or injury, to form and reorganize its synaptic connections. Maller, in a journal article, wrote that ear wiggling requires a higher level of mental activity than repetitive, simple movements. This can help promote neuroplasticity. So practicing ear wiggling may help repair or regrow damaged brain pathways.
Although the mechanism behind ear wiggling is complex, “it is possible for potentially anyone to learn how to wiggle their ears because the necessary muscles and nerves are already in place,” Maller wrote. “There are many anecdotal reports of people being able to teach themselves the skill by practicing in a mirror.”
Right now, Maller’s theory remains a hypothesis. If proven to be true, ear wriggling could prove useful in the rehabilitation of those with brain injuries. This story is part Popular Science’s Ask Us Anything, where we answer the most bizarre, off-the wall questions. You may have a question you’ve been wanting to ask. You can ask us anything.
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