Coyotes Share 'Puppy Dog Eyes' Trait with Domestic Dogs, Study Finds

Research reveals that the facial muscle responsible for the expression is an ancestral trait among canines, not unique to domesticated dogs.

The study, published in Royal Society Open Science, examined the levator anguli oculi medialis (LAOM) muscle in coyotes, dogs, and gray wolves.
Findings indicate that both coyotes and dogs possess a well-developed LAOM, while gray wolves do not, suggesting a common ancestor had this trait.
Genetic analysis confirmed the coyotes studied did not have significant dog ancestry, ruling out crossbreeding as a factor.
Researchers propose that the LAOM muscle may have originally evolved for vision and eye movements rather than human-canine communication.
This discovery prompts a reevaluation of the evolution of facial expressions in mammals, with future studies planned on other canid species.