Auricular muscles

Auricular muscles
The muscles of the auricula
Auricula in context.
Latin	musculi auriculares
Gray's	subject #229 1035
Origin	galeal aponeurosis
Insertion	front of the helix, cranial surface of the pinna
Artery	Posterior auricular artery
Nerve	facial nerve
Actions	Undeveloped in humans, (wiggle ears)

The auricular muscles are the three muscles surrounding the auricula or outer ear:

• anterior auricular muscle
• superior auricular muscle
• posterior auricular muscle

Action

In other animals these muscles serve to swivel the auricula to point in the direction of interesting sounds; in most humans all they can manage is a feeble wiggle.

External links

• LUC aur
• -892338099 at GPnotebook

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.