# Why haven't humans ever evolved pointy elf-like ears? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 12, 2015, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-humans-ever-evolved-pointy-elf-like-ears/734488 "2015-10-12T23:05:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-humans-ever-evolved-pointy-elf-like-ears/734488/1 "2015-10-12T23:05:09Z")
It’s a common trope in fantasy and science fiction for non-human races like elves and Vulcans to sport distinctive, pointy ears. In fact, Spock’s pointy ears were developed as a really inexpensive way to make him instantly recognizable as an alien species. Which makes me wonder – why don’t pointy ears exist as a natural human feature? Most mammals have pointy-ish ears, from rodents to cats to antelope. It’s only the primate species which have those boring round ears, which really aren’t as effective in gathering sound. But that’s what they evolved, so we humans are stuck with them. Is there any physiological reason why pointy ears wouldn’t work with humans? Or is it just an accident of evolution that we don’t have people walking around who resemble Legolas? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-humans-ever-evolved-pointy-elf-like-ears/734488/2 "2015-10-12T23:30:47Z")
Animals with pointy ears have them on the top of their heads, where the ears can be pointed in different directions to pin down the direction a sound is coming from. Human ears are on the sides of our heads, and can’t really point any way except to the sides, so there’s no advantage for us to have points. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-humans-ever-evolved-pointy-elf-like-ears/734488/3 "2015-10-12T23:36:48Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > . . . an accident of evolution . . . All evolution begins with random mutations, or “accidents.” If the mutation never happens, the effects will never exist. No pointy ears. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-humans-ever-evolved-pointy-elf-like-ears/734488/4 "2015-10-12T23:54:19Z")
Personally I believe it’s because evolution doesn’t have a sense of whimsy. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-humans-ever-evolved-pointy-elf-like-ears/734488/5 "2015-10-13T00:02:13Z")
(1) nobody had them, in the first place, and… (2) apparently we got along fine that way. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-humans-ever-evolved-pointy-elf-like-ears/734488/6 "2015-10-13T00:16:19Z")
Because they make you ugly without producing some other physical advantage. So they therefore do not drive a reproductive advantage since fewer individuals will choose mates with pointy ears. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-humans-ever-evolved-pointy-elf-like-ears/734488/7 "2015-10-13T00:20:13Z")
> [@White SIFL](#): > > Personally I believe it’s because evolution doesn’t have a sense of whimsy. Eru’s gift to mankind lies in another direction. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-humans-ever-evolved-pointy-elf-like-ears/734488/8 "2015-10-13T00:53:08Z")
My aunt has one pointy elf ear. ---
**Author:** ![solosam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@solosam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solosam)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-humans-ever-evolved-pointy-elf-like-ears/734488/9 "2015-10-13T00:57:45Z")
There’s rarely a point to asking why something “didn’t” happen. There’s often no answer. From an evolutionary perspective, if a mutation offers no advantage to the perpetuation of the species, it is unlikely to perpetuate. If we all had pointy ears, someone would probably be on the internet asking why we don’t have round ears. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-humans-ever-evolved-pointy-elf-like-ears/734488/10 "2015-10-13T01:12:25Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Eru’s gift to mankind lies in another direction. “Oh, wow! Death! Gee, thanks, Eru!” ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-humans-ever-evolved-pointy-elf-like-ears/734488/11 "2015-10-13T01:29:02Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > My aunt has one pointy elf ear. Did she bear offspring? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-humans-ever-evolved-pointy-elf-like-ears/734488/12 "2015-10-13T04:38:59Z")
> [@Chief\_Pedant](#): > > Because they make you ugly without producing some other physical advantage. > > So they therefore do not drive a reproductive advantage since fewer individuals will choose mates with pointy ears. Cartoon I saw once somewhere: First panel: Vulcan child sitting on the ground, looking very dour. Three other Vulcan children, pointing and laughing, saying “Spock has pointy ears! Spock has pointy ears!” Second panel: Spock says: “Your remarks are highly illogical. We _all_ have pointy ears.” Third panel: The other three Vulcan children are putting their hands on their ears, investigating their shape. Fourth panel: All four Vulcan children are sitting on the ground, looking very dour. ---
**Author:** ![CatastrophicFailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@CatastrophicFailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatastrophicFailure)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-humans-ever-evolved-pointy-elf-like-ears/734488/13 "2015-10-13T04:59:16Z")
If most mammals have “pointy-ish” ears, doesn’t that make our round ears distinctive? ---
**Author:** ![Kedikat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@Kedikat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kedikat)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-humans-ever-evolved-pointy-elf-like-ears/734488/14 "2015-10-13T05:29:58Z")
Most of the time, evolution tries to balance survival by using the minimum amount of equipment required. Even a bit of extra ear cost a little energy to keep alive. However. If pointy ears had become some sexual attraction, then they might have become extravagantly long and pointy. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-humans-ever-evolved-pointy-elf-like-ears/734488/15 "2015-10-13T05:33:19Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > It’s only the primate species which have those boring round ears, which really aren’t as effective in gathering sound. Who wants to tell the grizzly bear that it’s actually a primate? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-humans-ever-evolved-pointy-elf-like-ears/734488/16 "2015-10-13T05:41:11Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > It’s a common trope in fantasy and science fiction for non-human races like elves and Vulcans to sport distinctive, pointy ears. In fact, Spock’s pointy ears were developed as a really inexpensive way to make him instantly recognizable as an alien species. Pointy ears imply muscles\* to aim the points in various directions, to locate a sound. Such extra layers of muscles along the neck & collarbone make the idea of a ‘Vulcan nerve pinch’ quite unlikely and nonsensical. But then it’s TV; it doesn’t have to make sense. \*Humans have some such muscles, but atrophied & minuscule. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-humans-ever-evolved-pointy-elf-like-ears/734488/17 "2015-10-13T06:12:40Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Most mammals have pointy-ish ears, from rodents to cats to antelope. It’s only the primate species which have those boring round ears… I disagree with this statement of fact. Most rodents have sort of round-ish shell-like ears. Antelope and other deer have ears that are typically erect, but only a little bit pointy (and quite round in most cases) - and even then, not really pointy in the elfin/Vulcan sense. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-humans-ever-evolved-pointy-elf-like-ears/734488/18 "2015-10-13T08:14:02Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > My aunt has one pointy elf ear. > [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Did she bear offspring? By all reports, half-elves should be interfertile with humans… ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-humans-ever-evolved-pointy-elf-like-ears/734488/19 "2015-10-13T08:34:25Z")
So how many of you can wiggle your ears - pricking them up I think? I can only find uncited statements that suggest it’s 10 to 20% of us. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-humans-ever-evolved-pointy-elf-like-ears/734488/20 "2015-10-13T08:34:52Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Cartoon I saw once somewhere: > > First panel: Vulcan child sitting on the ground, looking very dour. Three other Vulcan children, pointing and laughing, saying “Spock has pointy ears! Spock has pointy ears!” > > Second panel: Spock says: “Your remarks are highly illogical. We _all_ have pointy ears.” > > Third panel: The other three Vulcan children are putting their hands on their ears, investigating their shape. > > Fourth panel: All four Vulcan children are sitting on the ground, looking very dour. I thought you were going for a [100 blue eyes](https://xkcd.com/blue_eyes.html)-style problem for a moment there. Like if Spock said “At least one of you has pointy ears, and anyone that realizes that they have pointy ears will become sad” 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-havent-humans-ever-evolved-pointy-elf-like-ears/734488.md?page=2)