The rare condition, known as preauricular sinus, means that someone has a dent around the external ear where the ear cartilage meets a person’s face.
The holes were first documented in 1864 by scientist Van Heusinger and it is a hereditary birth defect.
Around half of those affected have the hole on both of their ears, while the other half only have it on one.
According to Evolutionary biologist Neil Shubin, one theory for the dents is that they’re an “evolutionary remnant of fish gills”, reported Business Insider.
Luckily, those with preauricular sinus have nothing to worry about. The worst thing that could happen is that the holes could become infected, which could easily be combatted with antibiotics.
In Asia and parts of Africa, an estimated 4-10 per cent of the population have the birth defect.
Do you know someone who has these small holes above their ears? Let us know in the comments below.
Article created in partnership with Over60