Coyotes can make puppy dog eyes too

Dogs are justly famous for their ability to melt the hearts of even the most hardened individuals. This feat is achieved, in a part, through the patented “puppy dog eyes” – an irresistible and expressive manipulation of the eyebrows that can convey an incredible range of emotions. But new research from Baylor University has found that coyotes, wild relatives of man’s best friend, share the ability to make “puppy dog eyes.”

This revelation rocks the boat of the hypothesis that this expressive facial feature was an evolutionary outcome of dog domestication.

Coyotes and their eye muscles

The research, conducted at Baylor University, highlights an interesting find in the animal kingdom. The team behind this fascinating discovery was led by Patrick Cunningham, a Ph.D. research scholar in Baylor’s Department of Biology.

The focus of the study? A tiny little muscle – the levator anguli oculi medialis (LAOM). This muscle plays a key role in producing those expressive “puppy dog eyes,” by raising the inner eyebrow.

Coyotes making puppy dog eyes

Contrary to pre-existing beliefs, Cunningham and his team discovered that coyotes have a well-developed LAOM, similar to that found in dogs.

This challenges the long-standing notion that the LAOM muscle in dogs evolved exclusively for communication with humans during the process of domestication.

“Our findings suggest that the ability to produce ‘puppy dog eyes’ is not a unique product of dog domestication but rather an ancestral trait shared by multiple species in the Canis genus,” said Cunningham.

“This raises fascinating questions about the role of facial expressions in communication and survival among wild canids.”

Coyotes, dogs, and gray wolves

Cunningham’s team didn’t stop at coyotes. They extended their research to encompass facial muscle comparisons between coyotes, dogs, and gray wolves. They found marked differences among these species. While dogs and coyotes share a similarly well-developed LAOM, the situation is quite different in gray wolves.

The gray wolf’s LAOM muscle is either modified or altogether absent. This intriguing difference casts doubt on the previous hypothesis that focused entirely on human-driven selection as the be-all-end-all for the development of the inner brow raiser in dogs.

Instead, the study proposes that the LAOM likely existed in a common ancestor of dogs, coyotes, and gray wolves, but was later lost or reduced in gray wolves.

The study also documented considerable individual variation within coyotes when it comes to facial muscles, particularly those involved in brow and lip movements.

The experts ruled out significant dog ancestry in their coyote specimens through genetic analysis. This confirms that these traits are not due to crossbreeding.

Implications for evolutionary biology

The findings indicate a need for a re-examination of evolutionary paradigms concerning canine facial expressions.

The presence of “the LAOM muscle”puppy dog eyes” in both domesticated and wild canids like coyotes suggests that adaptive pressures influencing facial musculature might have been more complex than previously assumed.

The ability for subtle emotional expression could have been an evolutionary advantage in group living and survival for species like coyotes. Consequently, this compels a broader inquiry into the ecological and behavioral factors that could have preserved this trait across different members of the Canis genus.

Moreover, it implies a need to reassess how such traits contribute to intraspecies communication and interactions with humans and other species, potentially offering novel insights into the evolutionary biology of canids.

Future research directions

The revelations from this research offer numerous avenues for further exploration. For one, it would be valuable to investigate whether environmental or social factors in wild canids contribute to the retention or modification of facial muscles like the LAOM.

Comparative studies across a broader range of canid species could illuminate how these expressions have evolved and diversified.

Additionally, integrating genetic research could provide deeper insights into the genetic mechanisms underpinning these anatomical traits.

Understanding the potential haptic and communicative functions that facial musculature serves in various canid communities could offer exciting revelations about the evolution of non-verbal communication in the animal kingdom.

Transformative research like Cunningham’s lays the groundwork for future scientific exploration, making it imperative to continue unraveling these complex evolutionary stories.

Implications of puppy dog eyes in coyotes

“Our work reveals that coyotes and dogs share not just behavioral similarities, but also a fascinating evolutionary history that includes the ability to make expressions that we once thought were unique to domesticated animals,” said Cunningham.

This transformative discovery gives us more to think about in terms of the evolution of facial expressions in mammals. The LAOM may not have come into being as a tool of communication with humans, as was previously thought. It may have originally evolved for vision-related functions and eye movements.

Looking ahead, Cunningham’s team is excited about the prospect of future studies involving other species within the Canidae family, such as red wolves and African wild dogs.

These studies could shed new light on the role of facial expressions in survival and communication among these species.

The study is published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

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