Now you are more than likely confused by my title statement of having gills. But it is true, just not in the way you may think.
Although everyone's ear has a hole in it for its obvious purpose of hearing, did you know that some people are born with more than just one?
I was born with a rare hole where the cartilage meets the face, identical to that in the image above. And no, I did not simply get a piercing there. According to studies, only about 0.1% of people in the U.S. are also born with this hole; this is also found in small percentages throughout the world. About 1% in the UK and a range of 4-10% in Asia and parts of Africa have this condition as well. Overall, the numbers are still very low. Half of the people that have these holes only have them on one of their ears.
The hole is known as preauricular sinus, a birth defect that was first discovered in 1864 and appears as a malformation of 'nodules, dent, or dimples'. Scientists have discovered that the most likely root of this is an "evolutionary remnant of fish gills".
With the theory of evolution in mind, humans did in fact evolve from fish. Evidence of this not only is found within fossils, but also in other parts of our bodies. An example of this other than the preauricular sinus (or ear pit) is the groove right above your lip and under your nose. Formally known as the philtrum, it is the result of three sections of the face forming together, thus giving clues to our fish origin.
So what makes us so special? There are many different ideas of where someone can get the hole from. The defect itself is in fact hereditary and will not randomly form over the course of an individual's life. Some studies connect the effect to syndromes such as Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. This syndrome specifically is defined as "an overgrowth disorder usually present at birth, characterized by an increased risk of childhood cancer and certain congenital features".
The hole itself is typically harmless, with only a very slight risk of infection. In fact, those who do happen to have this defect are encouraged to get regular checkups, simply to make sure everything is doing just fine. However, infections are not guaranteed with possessing the hole.
No, the people that have this are not mermaids or weird fish people. If you happen to have this hole or know someone who does, it is nothing to be ashamed of. It is just one more thing that makes you "you". Plus, now the "fun fact" portion of introductions will never be difficult again.
