Editing Outer ear (section)

====Extrinsic muscles====
{{Infobox muscle
| Name        = Auricular muscles
| Latin       = musculi auriculares
| Image       = Gray906.png
| Caption     = The muscles of the [[Pinna (anatomy)|pinna]]
| Image2      = Gray378.png
| Caption2    = Auricular muscles in context with the other [[facial muscles]]
| Origin      = [[Galeal aponeurosis]]
| Insertion   = Front of the [[helix (ear)|helix]], [[Human cranium|cranial]] surface of the [[pinna (anatomy)|pinna]]
| Blood       = [[Posterior auricular artery]]
| Nerve       = [[Facial nerve]]
| Action      = Subtle auricle movements (forwards, backwards and upwards)
}}

The '''extrinsic auricular muscles''' are the three [[muscle]]s surrounding the ''[[Pinna (anatomy)|auricula]]'' or outer ear:
* [[anterior auricular muscle]]
* [[superior auricular muscle]]
* [[posterior auricular muscle]]

The superior muscle is the largest of the three, followed by the posterior and the anterior.

In some mammals these muscles can adjust the direction of the pinna. In humans these muscles possess very little action.
The auricularis anterior draws the auricula forward and upward, the auricularis superior slightly raises it, and the auricularis posterior draws it backward. The superior auricular muscle also acts as a stabilizer of the [[occipitofrontalis muscle]] and as a weak brow lifter.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Chon |first1=Brian H. |last2=Blandford |first2=Alex D. |last3=Hwang |first3=Catherine J. |last4=Petkovsek |first4=Daniel |last5=Zheng |first5=Andrew |last6=Zhao |first6=Carrie |last7=Cao |first7=Jessica |last8=Grissom |first8=Nick |last9=Perry |first9=Julian D. |date=February 2021 |title=Dimensions, Function and Applications of the Auricular Muscle in Facial Plastic Surgery |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33258010/ |journal=Aesthetic Plastic Surgery |volume=45 |issue=1 |pages=309–314 |doi=10.1007/s00266-020-02045-x |issn=1432-5241 |pmid=33258010|s2cid=227236615 }}</ref> The presence of auriculomotor activity in the posterior auricular muscle causes the muscle to contract and cause the pinna to be pulled backwards and flatten when exposed to sudden, surprising sounds.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Strauss |first1=Daniel J |last2=Corona-Strauss |first2=Farah I |last3=Schroeer |first3=Andreas |last4=Flotho |first4=Philipp |last5=Hannemann |first5=Ronny |last6=Hackley |first6=Steven A |date=2020-07-03 |editor-last=Groh |editor-first=Jennifer M |editor2-last=Shinn-Cunningham |editor2-first=Barbara G |editor3-last=Verhulst |editor3-first=Sarah |editor4-last=Shera |editor4-first=Christopher |editor5-last=Corneil |editor5-first=Brian D |title=Vestigial auriculomotor activity indicates the direction of auditory attention in humans |journal=eLife |volume=9 |pages=e54536 |doi=10.7554/eLife.54536 |pmid=32618268 |issn=2050-084X|pmc=7334025 |doi-access=free }}</ref>