African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) are a species that live in wild packs of around 10 individuals, although some groups can reach 40. The pack works together to cover great distances and bring down prey.
In a study published in The Anatomical Record, researchers examined the muscles of African wild dogs.
According to IFLScience, the ear muscles of L. pictus are well developed, allowing greater leverage and manipulation of its large, mobile ears.
Eleanor Higgs
These muscular adaptations facilitate the highly social ecology of African wild dogs and challenge current interpretations of the unique nature of domestic dogs' facial expressions.
By observing the musculature of a 12-year-old African wild dog, which had been medically euthanized, the team compared the facial muscles of the wild dog with those of domestic dogs.
The results show that the lengths of the levator anguli oculi medialis (LAOM) and retractor anguli oculi lateralis (RAOL) muscles are within the limits of the Collies, Dachshunds, German Shepherds and Jack Russell Terrier breeds.
"African wild dogs have the same well-developed facial muscles that generate the 'puppy-dog eye' expression in domestic dogs," emphasizes the study's lead author, Heather Smith.
The team concluded that the LAOM and RAOL muscles are not only enlarged in domestic dogs, but also develop in a similar way in African wild dogs.
The study does not rule out the idea that specialized facial muscles could have developed as a way for pets to communicate better with their owners.
In turn, it suggests that other dog species, such as the African wild dog, could also have highly developed facial muscles to facilitate communication with the other animals in their pack.
