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What is Darwin's tubercle on the human ear?

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Cross-section diagram of the human ear showing the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear, with labeled parts including the auricle, auditory canal, tympanic membrane, ossicles, cochlea, semicircular canals, and nerves. — human ear Structure of the human ear.

Darwin’s tubercle is a small, cartilaginous prominence sometimes found on the upper, posterior portion of the helix, which is the incurved rim of the human auricle.

Anatomically, this feature is considered a vestige of the folded-over point of the ear found in remote human ancestors. It is a normal anatomical variation rather than a medical condition, appearing as a small thickening or bump along the outer edge of the ear.1