Phenotypic variations of the human ear in the Basrah population.

Abstract

<b>Introduction:</b> External ears are distinct and do not alter with age. Ear traits may be as reliable as fingerprints in identifying people. An external ear morphological analysis and observation of Basrah population ear features were undertaken to assess how beneficial the ear is for identification.<b>Aim:</b> This study gathered comprehensive data on the external ear phenotypic variations in the Basrah population.<b>Methods:</b> A cross-sectional study of 608 patients aged 7-70 years (308 men, 300 women). Abnormal ears were omitted. Photographs and population statistics were randomly collected.<b>Results:</b> The predominant ear shape among our population is oval, including 38.7% of males and 42.7% of females. Females predominantly exhibit tongue-type earlobes (44.7%), while males are more likely to possess arched lobes (39.6%). In both genders, the attached earlobe is the second most prevalent ear type, behind the free earlobe (41.2% in males and 60.0% in females). The long variety of the tragus is uncommon, while the knob-shaped variant is more prevalent, seen in 46.8% of males and 51.3% of females. The normal rolled helix is common in both genders. Many individuals in our population lack Darwin's tubercle.<b>Conclusions:</b> External ear forms vary according to heredity. Despite minor gender and country variations, it is useful in forensics, plastic surgery, and anomaly identification.