Does the body have a dominant ear?

Question

Obviously we have dominant hands, dominant eyes, and dominant feet, but does the brain prefer to recieve messages from a certain ear. (providing both ears are at fairly equal hearing capacities and you are not deaf in one ear)
Also, since almost no two ears are exactly the same on your head, is it because of a reason that one may be different? Or is it a natural asymetrical occurance?

Answer 1

Hi. I'm an Audiologist.

This has been asked before.

Hearing sensitivity/acuity is typically symmetrical between the ears. However, the left hemisphere of the brain is where speech and language are processed. The left hemisphere controls the right side of the body. Therefore, the right ear is better able to understand speech for the majority of the population.

Answer 2

The brain is an asymmetric organ, perhaps because of the embriogenesis. That is, one side of the brain its different from the other because during its initial development its anatomical units (blood vessels, neurons, and connective tissue) where laid down differently. Two "construction" proyects in the most complex organ of evolution in the most advanced species, the right and left brain hemispheres. Neccessarily, the processes to "build" such a complex organ will not be exactly alike. Hence the structure of the righ and left hemisphere is different. This characteristic was eventually good for the species, because in essence threre was more "room" for different "software". With the passage of time it got coded in our genes. That is why, for example, the center for speech is in the left hemisphere.
I am right handed and left "eared". My dominant ear is the left one. The areas of my left hemisphere that "hear" the sounds are also more interconnected to areas of emotion and reason. When I talk to my wife or my children over the phone I must use my left ear. Very interesting question, find out more about it and let us know. Look it up in a Neurology book.

Answer 3

No one can predict what the percentage of outcome is. Assuming both parents were full blooded and the GSDs relatives ears all stood its a good chance. But you also have a lot of genetics and they don't always pick things up 50/50. Many GSDs ears dont fully stand until they are 6 months or more and some need to be posted to get them to stand. I wouldn't worry about your pups ears, just let them do whatever they end up doing.

Answer 4

This is an interesting question. I'm deaf in one ear.
The outsides of our ears (pinna) do often look different. But think about it.....we're not purely bilaterally symmetrical. Your hands are enantiomers of one another but not perfectly symmetrical. One is usually slightly larger. One of the marks of facial beauty is that our faces are not exactly symmetrical. There are mirror systems you can look into and see the left half doubled and the right half doubled. Comparing the two images it looks like two completely different people. Really beautiful people (or people we consider to be really beautiful) rarely have two identical sides to their face. This makes there faces more "interesting" for us to investigate and study.
I would imagine that there is some tendency for a dominant ear, but it's just a guess and if it exists it would be a weak dominance. Whichever ear is closest to the sound / on that side, etc. is going to perceive it better.
What I can tell you is that it is pretty rare for people to have hearing that is the SAME in both ears. You will usually hear better out of one ear, and hear different frequencies better from your two ears. But.....that's passive. It's not the same thing as both eyes seeing but you're really only paying attention to one of them. You're always paying attention to the sounds coming to both ears because it tells you direction. Or.....I am told that is the case, I don't know from my own experience because I am deaf in one ear.
I can also tell you that I have met several other people who are deaf in one ear and we all share the same odd set of personality characteristics. All of the deaf-in-one-ear people I know, and there are about 6 of us (raised deaf in one ear), are socially awkward, great talkers but poor listeners, highly intelligent and analytical, judgmental, academic, diligent, highly individualistic, and we make poor eye contact. We're weird! :)
Interesting question.

Answer 5

I've noticed that my left ear works slightly better than my right. Not sure exactly why that is.

Answer 6

I do, I am left eared. Here is a photo to prove it.

Answer 7

i would say yes- cuz i cant talk on the phone unless im using my right ear--