NEW YORK (AP) � Scientists say they’ve figured out why dogs can make those sad puppy dog eyes at you. It turns out, it’s because of us.
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Thousands of years of living with people encouraged dogs to develop a muscle that lets them raise their eyebrows so they look more babylike. And people may have unwittingly preferred pups that could make that expression.
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Researchers suggested this in a study released Monday by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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They showed that this muscle is virtually absent in wolves, the ancestors of dogs.
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The researchers believe dogs used this eye muscle to communicate with humans, possibly goading people to feed or care for them � or at least take them out to play.
Dogs have evolved new muscles around the eyes to better communicate with humans. via
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6/17/2019 2:07:09 PM (GMT -5:00)
