Science & Technology

Puppy dog eyes are an evolutionary trait

By T.K. Randall
June 18, 2019

Image: Border Collie
Credit: Iceblueblue / CC BY-SA 4.0 (adapted) Take one look at a dog's 'puppy eyes' and the power that our canine companions have over us becomes readily apparent, but what is it about a dogs' eyes that makes them so endearing?

Previous studies have shown that dogs are capable of using their eyes to produce an infant-like expression, thus prompting the same nurturing feelings we get when we see a cute baby.

According to new research however, this is definitely not by accident - dogs have actually evolved the ability to deliberately manipulate the emotions of humans thanks to special facial muscles that can control their expressions."[This movement enables a dog's eyes to] appear larger, more infant-like and also resembles a movement humans produce when they are sad," said study co-author Dr Juliane Kaminski.

This in turn would have made our ancestors more likely to protect and breed such dogs.

"[This shows] how important faces can be in capturing our attention, and how powerful facial expression can be in social interaction," said co-author Professor Bridget Waller.

Source: BBC News

Tags: Dog, Eyes