Overview

• 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.