Why most dogs have brown eyes? The development of the appearance that looks more friendly

It is not a coincidence that, when a dog He looks at us with his dark eyes, we feel almost automatically to approach, or to embrace a smile. This expression, apparently UncommonIt is part of a more complex story: the story of the link between humans and dogs for thousands of years of domestication.

Although we often look at features such as falling ears, hook size or head shape, the study indicates that the color of the eyes could also play a role in this process. Most home dogs have very brown or dark eyes, While the wolves, with which they share the origin, a iris usually appear from yellow tones or amber. Why this change happened? And above all, how does our perception of dogs affect?

Old direction human foot

This phenomenon is not exclusive to dogs. In fact, brown eyes are also The most common eye color Between humans, it exists in nearly 79 % of the world’s population. According to an article from Itrust.ioThis spread is not transverse, but as a result of the decisive evolutionary adaptation because the iris melanin protects the eyes of harmful ultraviolet radiation, which reduces the risk of eye damage such as cataracts or macular degeneration.

Historically, brown eyes were the only human eye color, because the genetic mutation that allowed other colors that occurred at a later time, when humans migrated from Africa A Europe. This evolutionary protection can affect Preference for similar features in other typesLike dogs.

Less threat look

According to the study of dogs published in the magazine The royal society is open scienceDark eyes It is seen as more friendly, less aggressive and more mature Those who have lighter eyes. The team, led by Akitsugu Konno, analyzed pictures of dogs from different races, and digitically edited their eyes to clarify or intensify their brown accent. By displaying these photos more than a hundred volunteers, dark -eyes dogs inspired more sympathy and were judged as less intimidated. This preference, according to researchers, could have had an evolutionary weight by choosing dogs that seemed less threat, so humans were indirectly dark eyes in the number of dogs.

We also show this tendency between our types The brown eyes are culturally related to warmth and reliability, and in some contexts, even with strength. Although these perceptions differ according to culture, various studies indicate that people with brown eyes can provoke us a feeling of familiarity and security, similar to what we experience with dogs.

Comparison with wolves and niutani

In contrast to wolves is clear. In nature, wolves often appear yellow or iris amber, a feature, according to studies, Easy visual communication between individuals Of the same type. Seeing the size and direction of students helps to transfer signals, which is an essential thing in the life of a social animal in an unpredictable environment. However, for humans, this type of appearance can be more intimidated.

On the other hand, the dark eyes, which can give the impression of the older students, raise childhood and care memories, such as Human children also have relatively larger studentsThe image that we usually link to weakness and tenderness. Thus, the choice of dogs with dark eyes can be an indirect result of this instinctive attraction so that it is less threat.

Does it affect the adoption of dogs?

Although the study does not deal with this point directly, the perception of dogs with dark eyes can have a practical impact on issues such as adoption. some Organizations and experts They wonder whether the dogs with light eyes, such as amber or blue, can face more difficulty in finding the house, as they are considered less friendly or more “wild”.

Strong structures and exceptions

Of course, there are races that escape from this trend. For example, the strong Siberians are famous for their blue eyes and have long been an amazing exception. Heat as primitive dogs, closer to the wolf in some cases, keeps this clear appearance. But even in your case, The visualization of the blue eyes can be affected by familiarity Since being a well -known and popular race, many people connect those eyes with positive qualities, such as resistance and adventurous spirit.

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