Article: Puppy dog eyes

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

I thought this was an interesting read, they say "puppy dog eyes" (aka expressive eyebrows) evolved in dogs because humans selectively bred the dogs they felt the most emotionally attached to.  Interesting and I can for sure attest that those warm eyes make our furry friends hard to resist!

https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/education-48665618

[Barbara, Zoey and Zeke]

It's not just dogs.  Some scientists thing that lots of mammals, including humans, evolved to make us want to take care of them.  I think they called it the science of "cute". Those bigger heads and eyes in relation to their bodies.  Otherwise we might not have wanted to take care of those screaming, pooping, and peeing little ones!  lol

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Lol, 100% relatable as I often catch myself saying to my 5-month old "it's a good thing you're adorable" ;)

Very neat, I wonder if we are also "attracted" to animals with similar proportions to our own faces... like for example I find gorillas (super similar to us) to be cuter than marmosets (adorable and tiny.. but facial proportions are not as similar to ours).

Obligatory pictures for cuteness:

 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I must be an outlier, because I don't think that gorilla is cute at all! 

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Maybe! Or maybe we just need a more extreme example..like primate vs preying mantis :p

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There are actually some bugs that I do find cute. LOL

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Oh me too...I stared at a lot of bug faces in entomology and invertebrate classes in university though and I can guarantee none of them look cute under a microscope.  Scary alien mouth parts lol.

[Stacy]

I need that marmoset. Can you please send him to me? I would love him and kiss him and make him my very own. I'm pretty sure the girls would love him too.

You would probably all think I'm crazy if I told you about all the inappropriate animals I wish I could have as pets. I've always wanted a bat. I would also like a sugar glider, a sloth, pretty much any monkey, a lemur, a chipmunk...Okay, I would be happy living in the zoo.

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Do you have a zoo in your area? I wonder if they have volunteer programs you could participate in.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

My mother was a volunteer at the Children's Zoo section of the Lincoln Park Zoo here in Chicago for many years. That's where they have a lot of the babies, and they need people to feed and care for them. It's amazing to hold a lion cub in your arms!

[Stacy]

This is so cool. I don't know if our zoo has anything like that. It's not a great zoo. 

I hate having my picture taken. I cannot smile on command. And over a lifetime there are only a handful of pictures of myself that I like. There is one from Mexico where I'm holding a lion cub - pure joy. You can't fake happy like that! There's one with a squirrel monkey too. Best pictures I've ever had taken.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I heard an interview on the radio today about this.  Apparently wolves and huskys do not have this muscle.  

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Actually... now that I think about it I've never seen a husky move their eyebrows!