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Hairy pinnae in Kerala
Author(s) -
Ali S. G. M.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.1330360202
Subject(s) - ear lobe , auricle , helix (gastropod) , endogamy , pinna , hypertrichosis , demography , incidence (geometry) , anatomy , biology , evolutionary biology , population , zoology , geometry , mathematics , gastropoda , sociology
The study of hairs on the different parts of the pinna of adult males among the endogamous groups of Kerala province, India, revealed age trends, differences among the groups, and high correlations between the frequency of hairs in certain regions of the ear. The greatest incidence of hypertrichosis was found in the lower helix, followed by the tragus, middle helix, lobe, and top of helix. A gradual increase in the frequency of the trait with age occurred in the antitragus and tragus, and a decrease with age in the lower and middle helix. As hair at the top of the helix remains constant in frequency with age and is present in all populations studied, it is a useful anthropological marker.