The ability to voluntarily move, or wiggle, the ears (auricular movement) is a curious human trait that most people do not possess. This specialized motor skill raises a fundamental question: is the capacity for ear wiggling determined by genetics or developed through focused effort and practice? The answer involves a complex interaction between evolutionary remnants in human anatomy and the brain’s capacity for motor learning, suggesting both nature and nurture play a role.
The Genetic Consensus on Ear Movement
The capacity to wiggle the ears has a genetic component, though the exact inheritance pattern is not straightforward. Early studies suggested the trait might follow a dominant inheritance pattern, meaning a person is more likely to have the ability if at least one parent can also do it. This simple model is complicated by cases where ear-wiggling children are born to parents who cannot perform the action, indicating the trait is not a simple Mendelian one.
The ability is better understood as a polygenic trait, influenced by multiple genes and subject to incomplete penetrance. This means a person could inherit the genetic predisposition but still lack the functional ability to consciously perform the action. Recent studies have identified as many as 250 DNA markers that correlate with ear-wiggling ability, confirming that genetics contribute to the underlying potential. However, these studies also suggest that genetics account for only part of the variation, with practice making up a larger portion of the final ability.
The Vestigial Muscles Responsible
The physical mechanism behind ear wiggling involves three small muscles surrounding the external ear, collectively known as the auricular muscles. These include the anterior, superior, and posterior auricular muscles, which pull the ear forward, upward, and backward. Although everyone possesses these muscles, they are considered vestigial in humans, meaning they are evolutionary remnants that have lost their original function.
In many other mammals, these muscles are robust and fully functional, allowing the animal to pivot the ear to localize sounds precisely. Humans lost this capability approximately 25 million years ago, relying instead on head movements and advanced auditory processing for sound localization. Consequently, the auricular muscles in modern humans are often underdeveloped and lack the strong neural pathways necessary for voluntary control. Despite this functional diminishment, the muscles are not entirely inactive, as research has shown they can involuntarily twitch during intense listening effort.
Can You Learn to Wiggle Your Ears?
While a genetic predisposition establishes the anatomical foundation, the ability to move the ears on command is ultimately a learned motor skill. The core difference between those who can and cannot wiggle their ears lies in the robustness of the neural connections from the brain to these specific muscles. In most people, the neural pathway governing the auricular muscles is not under conscious control, making voluntary movement difficult or impossible.
Learning to wiggle the ears involves establishing or strengthening this brain-to-muscle connection, which is a form of motor learning. Individuals attempting the skill often focus on isolating the auricular muscles by consciously trying to contract them while avoiding surrounding facial muscles. Studies have shown that providing visual feedback on muscle activation can help individuals train these specific ear muscles, suggesting focused practice improves control. Even if the underlying genetic potential is low, consistent effort can lead to the development of voluntary control over the vestigial ear muscles.