Every person will inherit genes from their parents that affect the shape, size, and prominence of their ears. It is not uncommon to see large, protruding ears passed down from parent to child.

What determines ear shape?

Although the human ears appear similar, minor structural differences make each ear different from the other. The primary form of the gene that determines the shape of the earlobe is known as an allele. An allele is a gene that is found at a specific position on a chromosome.

Is ear shape dominant or recessive?

free earlobes are often used to illustrate basic genetics. The myth is that earlobes can be divided into into two clear categories, free and attached, and that a single gene controls the trait, with the allele for free earlobes being dominant. Neither part of the myth is true.