Study Suggests That Dogs’ Faces Evolved To Better Connect With Humans

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A form of “neoteny,” which is the belief that dogs retain some characteristics of juvenile wolves as adults, has also been suggested. This could be because they are more aggressive than wolves, or possibly because humans favored such traits during dog domestication.

Evan MacLean (biological anthropologist), is the director of the University of Arizona’s Canine Cognition Center. He said that future research could examine whether the ratio of fast- and slower-twitch facial muscles fibers changes with age in wolves. This could suggest that neoteny could also be at play.