Large and droopy “puppy-dog eyes” did not just evolve in domesticated dogs to appeal to humans, as scientists had previously thought, according to a new study that sheds more light on canine evolution.
Previous research papers published in 2019 and in 2022 theorised that dogs evolved new muscles around their eyes specifically because this facilitated more effective communication with humans.
But a new study of African wild dogs debunks this theory, finding that other canine species have similar muscle adaptations that allow them to pull sad-looking expressions.
Not only were these facial muscles present in the wild dogs, but they were also shown to be just as developed as those seen in their domesticated cousins. In addition, some facial muscles in the African wild dog appear to support fine manipulation of its characteristically large, mobile ears.
“This morphology suggests that ocular facial expressions contribute to within-pack communication in wild dogs and are not unique to domestic dogs,” researchers wrote in the study.
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They speculate that non-vocal communication may be particularly useful for the animals, highly social canines that hunt across the plains of Africa in packs of five to nine individuals, to communicate silently across their grassy habitat.
