Our ears are biological marvels—the result of millions of years of selection pressure that has refined the mechanisms for better hearing. The lobe part, however, seems to lack a specific purpose. According to paleontologists, these “dangly bits of soft, non-cartilaginous tissue” appeared relatively recently among mammals, and only among humans, chimpanzees, and gorillas; the fact that individual earlobe shapes vary widely among people is cited as further proof that the genetics did not evolve to serve any particular need. Although some researchers note that perhaps the additional capillaries may have some use—or, that there may be some relation to attraction and pair bonding–others joke that they’re just a good place to put jewelry.
