Emily Chan
There’s something that’s just so irresistible about your four-legged friend when they’re staring up at you with big puppy dog eyes. This adorable look will make you quickly cave in and dole out a bunch of treats even after you’ve resolved not to.
In 2019, research suggested that dogs developed puppy dog eyes as a result of domestication to encourage humans to take care of them.
It found that domestic dogs had more complex facial muscles than wolves or other wild canid species, allowing them to perform a wider range of facial expressions.
However, a new study published in The Anatomical Record has debunked the theory that dogs evolved to have puppy dog eyes due to domestication.
In the study, researchers examined the facial muscles of African wild dogs and realized that they had the same puppy dog eye muscles as domestic dogs.
African wild dogs are a social group of canines that run in packs of around 10 individuals. Some packs can contain as many as 40 members. They work together to bring down prey across large distances.
The researchers analyzed the facial anatomy of a deceased 12-year-old male African wild dog and compared it to the anatomy of domestic dogs.
The results showed that the muscles of African wild dogs were just as developed as dog breeds like Collies, Dachshunds, German Shepherds, and Jack Russell Terriers.
It is believed that African wild dogs evolved to have these eye muscles to help them communicate while hunting on the open savanna. Their highly expressive faces let them make silent visual cues to each other from far away.
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