Assessment of Earlobe Patterns and Ear Shapes in Hausa Ethnic Group of Nigeria: Implications for Forensic and Clinical Applications

Abstract

Background: The external ear consists of the pinna and external auditory meatus, which vary in shape, size, and structure among individuals. The earlobe is a soft tissue region near the base of the external ear. Both men and women have attached and detachable earlobes. The study sought to evaluate the external ear morphology and earlobe attachment pattern of the Hausa ethnic group in Nigeria. Methods: The study included 300 individuals (150 males and 150 females) aged 18 to 37 years. Multi-stage random sampling was employed. The data was analyzed using version 23 of the statistical package for social sciences. Chi-square was used as an inferential statistic and a probability less than 0.05 (p<0.05) was considered statistically significant. Results: The study shows that 61.3% of males and 54% of females were observed to have attached lobes. There was no significant relationship between the sexes. The most prominent ear shape among the population was triangular in females while in males was oval. Conclusion: This study shows that the most dominant pattern of earlobes was attached earlobes. It also indicated that the most common morphological shapes among the population were oval and triangular shapes in males and females respectively. The study will be useful in the implications of sectors like plastic surgery, hearing aid design, and forensic science, where a precise understanding of ear morphology aids identification processes.