A petulant flash of puppy-dog eyes is hard for most people to resist. According to a close examination of the muscles around dog and wolf eyes, that heartstring pull might be why dogs can give us those looks at all.
A Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences paper* recently published found dog faces are structured for complex expression in a way wolves aren’t thanks to a special pair of muscles framing their eyes. These muscles are responsible for that “adopt me” look dogs can pull by raising their inner eyebrows.
It’s the first biological evidence scientists have found where domesticated dogs might have evolved a specialized ability used expressly for better communication with humans.
Since vagal tone for social affiliating also responds to subtle movements around the eyes, we connect profoundly with animals capable of exaggerating the size & width of their eyes — which makes them look like our own human babies and “bio-hacks” into our nurturing instincts.
Research has already demonstrated humans prefer pets w/more infant like facial features, and two years ago, the authors of this latest study showed how dogs who made the facial movement enabled by the RAOL and LAOM muscles—an expression we read as distinctly humanlike—were more likely to be selected for adoption from a shelter than those who didn’t. Dogs were not bred for this trait knowingly, but they gained so much from having it (and its capacity for non-verbal mirroring) it became a widespread facial feature.
Fanatic Cook 
Wolf proportions! Outstanding!
For more about what’s going on w/Darlene Kobobel, CEO of CWWC
& wolf-dog rescue in general:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/wolfdoghuman-connections-r-eady/
A petulant flash of puppy-dog eyes is hard for most people to resist. According to a close examination of the muscles around dog and wolf eyes, that heartstring pull might be why dogs can give us those looks at all.
A Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences paper* recently published found dog faces are structured for complex expression in a way wolves aren’t thanks to a special pair of muscles framing their eyes. These muscles are responsible for that “adopt me” look dogs can pull by raising their inner eyebrows.
It’s the first biological evidence scientists have found where domesticated dogs might have evolved a specialized ability used expressly for better communication with humans.
Since vagal tone for social affiliating also responds to subtle movements around the eyes, we connect profoundly with animals capable of exaggerating the size & width of their eyes — which makes them look like our own human babies and “bio-hacks” into our nurturing instincts.
Research has already demonstrated humans prefer pets w/more infant like facial features, and two years ago, the authors of this latest study showed how dogs who made the facial movement enabled by the RAOL and LAOM muscles—an expression we read as distinctly humanlike—were more likely to be selected for adoption from a shelter than those who didn’t. Dogs were not bred for this trait knowingly, but they gained so much from having it (and its capacity for non-verbal mirroring) it became a widespread facial feature.
*https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2019/06/11/1820653116
LikeLike
That’s neat about the eye muscles. It sure works with me!
LikeLike