Evolution of facial muscle anatomy in dogs

DOI

10.1073/pnas.1820653116

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

1-1-2019

Publication Title

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Volume

116

Issue

29

First Page

14677

Last Page

14681

ISSN

278424

Keywords

Domestic dogs, Domestication, Facial muscle anatomy, Wolves

Abstract

Domestication shaped wolves into dogs and transformed both their behavior and their anatomy. Here we show that, in only 33,000 y, domestication transformed the facial muscle anatomy of dogs specifically for facial communication with humans. Based on dissections of dog and wolf heads, we show that the levator anguli oculi medialis, a muscle responsible for raising the inner eyebrow intensely, is uniformly present in dogs but not in wolves. Behavioral data, collected from dogs and wolves, show that dogs produce the eyebrow movement significantly more often and with higher intensity than wolves do, with highest-intensity movements produced exclusively by dogs. Interestingly, this movement increases paedomorphism and resembles an expression that humans produce when sad, so its production in dogs may trigger a nurturing response in humans. We hypothesize that dogs with expressive eyebrows had a selection advantage and that “puppy dog eyes” are the result of selection based on humans’ preferences.

Open Access

Green Accepted

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