Robert De Niro is widely regarded as one of the most outstanding actors and film producers in Hollywood. However, have you ever noticed that his ears are quite large?
Considering the 81-year-old’s remarkable career, it might be easy to overlook. As people age, it’s normal for their ears to grow, but a side-by-side comparison of a younger De Niro and a more recent photo has caught people’s attention.
On Tuesday (3 September), two photos of De Niro went viral—one from the 1970s and another more recent.
“Side profile of Robert De Niro showing how ears grow as we age,” wrote the Redditor who shared the images.
The Reddit post’s comments section has seen many people express their surprise at the change.
“I had big ears as a child. In my 40s I have enormous ears. If I make it to old age, I’ll be dumbo,” one person joked.
Another person added, “Looks like an entirely different person to me, the entire facial and cranial structure is different.”
“I’m 28 and my ears are already bigger than the average. I don’t like to imagine how it will be in my 60s,” commented a third individual.
Though it may sound a bit odd, there are studies that confirm this trend.
In June 1993, James Heathcote and his GP colleagues decided to investigate an intriguing theory.
They involved 206 of their patients over the age of 30 in the study.
The study concluded that ears grow an average of 0.22mm per year, which equates to about one centimeter or half an inch over 50 years.
The findings were further supported by studies in Japan and Italy.
The 1999 Italian study noted that men’s ears are generally larger than women’s and that ear size increases with age. For those with big ears in their 20s, this might be a concern.
So, why do ears grow as we age?
The science behind this is somewhat unclear, but one explanation is that ears sag as we get older.
Thanks to the work of various experts, it is safe to say that ears tend to grow with age.