New Research Suggests That Domesticated Dogs Were Selectively Bred To Have Darker Eye Colors Since The Illusion Of A Larger Pupil Leads To A More Friendly And Youthful Appearance, Causing Us To View Our Pets Like Babies
If you’ve grown up around dogs, then you’ve probably noticed that light-colored eyes are a rarity among domestic canines.
It’s so rare, in fact, that seeing a dog with bright blue eyes seems to prompt one of two reactions. People either find the hue seriously stunning or somewhat eerie.
However, the word “cute” usually isn’t used to describe the piercing eye color, and it appears as though dog breeders of generations past took note of that.
According to a recent study published in Royal Society Open Science, there might have been a deliberate effort to breed dogs with darker eyes. This was possibly done to give them a more youthful and approachable look.
The study, conducted by a group of scientists from Japan, examined the differences in eye color between gray wolves and domestic dogs. They analyzed photographs of 22 wolves and 81 dogs from 35 different breeds.
Their findings revealed that, on average, domestic dogs have significantly darker irises compared to wolves. While dark brown eyes are typically seen in dogs, wolves’ eyes tend to have a yellow hue.
Moreover, the variation in eye color between wolves and domestic dogs might have been a deliberate choice by humans.
The scientists conducted an experiment where they showed participants images of dogs with either digitally lightened or darkened eye colors and asked them to infer the dogs’ personalities based on these images.
The results showed that dogs with darker eyes were perceived as more amiable and less intimidating, associated with traits like friendliness, sociability, and reliability.
Kate – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual dog
On the other hand, dogs with lighter eyes were often seen as more aggressive and mature. This suggests that humans may have a preference for brown, puppy-like eyes, potentially influencing breeders to select for this trait in domestic dogs.
However, what captivates people isn’t the color of the eyes per se but rather the apparent size of the pupils.
Humans are naturally born with comparatively large pupils, which diminish in size as the eye muscles weaken over time.
The association of large pupils with youthfulness plays a key role here, and the darker the iris, the more challenging it is to discern the boundaries of the pupil.
So, the researchers hypothesize that brown eyes might create the illusion of larger pupils, leading us to perceive our pets as vulnerable babies requiring our care, even if they are big breeds like German Shepherds or Labrador Retrievers.
Additionally, color also isn’t the sole characteristic contributing to the appearance of larger, more endearing eyes in dogs.
In fact, domestic dogs have even developed the skill to lift their eyebrows when gazing at their owners. This gesture is commonly referred to as “puppy dog eyes.”
To read the study’s complete findings, visit the link here.
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