Left panel: sample of local dense galaxies selected using the Taylor et al.’s cuts and circularized de Vaucouleur radius R_e,dV, and plotted in the size-mass plane using their semi-major de Vaucouleur axis SM_e,dV. Galaxies are colour coded according to their b/a ratio, as declared in the labels. Solid line indicates the log(R_e,dV/kpc) = 0.56 × (log(M_⋆/M_⊙) −9.84)−0.3 relation. Central panel: the distribution of the axis ratio b/a for the same galaxies in the left panel. Histogram counts are normalized to unity. Right panel: the distribution of the Sersic index n of local dense galaxies selected using the Taylor et al. cuts and circularized Sersic radius (blue histogram). Histogram counts are normalized to unity. Magenta histogram is the distribution of the Sersic index for our sample of ultramassive dense ETGs.