Skip to content 
Here is where the story shifts from a standard medical explanation into something straight out of an evolutionary biology thriller.
While anatomists have known about preauricular pits since they were first documented by scientist Van Heusinger in 1864, it was Neil Shubin, a renowned evolutionary biologist and author of the groundbreaking book Your Inner Fish, who popularized a much more dramatic theory.
Shubin hypothesized that these tiny holes are actually an evolutionary leftover—specifically, an evolutionary remnant of fish gills.
It sounds like science fiction, but it makes incredible sense when you look at how human embryos develop. Those pharyngeal arches we mentioned earlier? In fish embryos, those exact same structures develop into gills. In human embryos, they develop into our jaws, our throats, and our ears.
According to Shubin’s theory, the preauricular pit is simply an ancient genetic echo from millions of years ago, a time when our earliest ancestors were still swimming in the prehistoric oceans. When you look at that tiny hole, you might literally be looking at a microscopic window into the evolutionary history of humanity. It is your inner fish saying hello.
For illustrative purposes only
Who Gets Them? A Look at the Genetic Lottery
If you don’t have one, you are in the vast majority. Preauricular pits are relatively uncommon, but their prevalence varies wildly depending on your genetic background and where you are in the world.
In the United States and the UK: Only about 0.1% to 1% of the population has this unique ear mark.
In Asia: The numbers jump significantly, with up to 10% of people carrying the trait.
In parts of Africa: The prevalence is roughly 4% to 10%.
Because it is a congenital trait, it is often hereditary. If you have one, there is a strong chance that one of your parents does, too, or that you might pass it down to your own children.
Should You Be Worried? (The Health Reality)
If you just discovered you have a preauricular pit, take a deep breath: they are almost entirely harmless. They do not affect your hearing, they are not a sign of a severe underlying disease, and the vast majority of people live their entire lives without ever giving their little ear dimple a second thought.