Exploration of the auricle morphology of young adults from 10 countries

This study aimed to compare auricle morphology across individuals from 10 countries. A total of 1,351 auricle photographs from 676 student volunteers (367 males, 309 females) at Karabük University were analyzed. Participants originated from Türkiye, Chad, Morocco, Gabon, Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Senegal, Syria, and Jordan/Palestine. Morphological parameters included external auricle shape, helix form, antihelix, triangular fossa, antitragus, incisura intertragica, tragus, earlobe shape, earlobe-cheek attachment, and Darwin's tubercle. The participants were aged 16-30 years, with a mean age of 20.9 ± 3.3 years. Participants were aged 16-30 years (mean 20.9 ± 3.3). External auricle shape differed significantly by country (χ2 = 185.764, df = 54, p < 0.001), with round shapes predominant in Chad, triangular in Morocco and Kazakhstan, bagel in Gabon and Senegal, and oval in Türkiye, Uzbekistan, and Syria. Helix form also differed significantly (χ2 = 178.928, df = 63, p < 0.001). This study provides a standardized comparative framework of auricular morphology across multiple populations, offering a reference dataset that may support forensic identification, anthropological research, and clinical applications such as auricular reconstruction.