New research from Baylor University reveals that coyotes, like domestic dogs, have the ability to produce the famous “puppy dog eyes” expression. The study—”Coyotes can do ‘puppy dog eyes’ too: Comparing interspecific variation in Canis facial expression muscles,” published in the Royal Society Open Science—challenges the hypothesis that this facial feature evolved exclusively in dogs as a result of domestication.

The research team, led by Patrick Cunningham, a Ph.D. research student in the Department of Biology at Baylor University, examined the levator anguli oculi medialis (LAOM), the muscle responsible for raising the inner eyebrow to create “puppy dog eyes,” in coyotes.

Contrary to previous assumptions, Cunningham and colleagues discovered that coyotes also possess a well-developed LAOM, similar to dogs. This finding contradicts the idea that the muscle evolved specifically for communication between humans and dogs during domestication.

“Our findings suggest that the ability to produce ‘puppy dog eyes’ is not a unique product of dog domestication but rather an ancestral trait shared by multiple species in the Canis genus,” Cunningham said. “This raises fascinating questions about the role of facial expressions in communication and survival among wild canids.”

Coyotes, dogs and gray wolves comparisons

Cunningham and his team compared the facial muscles of coyotes, dogs and gray wolves. While both dogs and coyotes possess a well-developed LAOM, the muscle is either modified or absent in gray wolves. This challenges the hypothesis that human-driven selection was solely responsible for the development of the inner brow raiser in dogs.

Instead, the study suggests that the LAOM was likely present in a common ancestor of dogs, coyotes and gray wolves but was later lost or reduced in wolves.

The research also documented significant intraspecific variation in the facial muscles of coyotes, particularly those related to brow and lip movements. Genetic analysis was used to rule out significant dog ancestry in the coyote specimens, reinforcing that these traits are not a result of crossbreeding.

“Our work reveals that coyotes and dogs share not just behavioral similarities, but also a fascinating evolutionary history that includes the ability to make expressions that we once thought were unique to domesticated animals,” Cunningham said.

This discovery has broader implications for understanding the evolution of facial expressions in mammals. The LAOM may have originally evolved for functions related to vision and eye movements, rather than communication with humans, as previously thought.

Future studies on other canid species, including red wolves and African wild dogs, may further illuminate the role of facial expressions in survival and species communication.

Cool, crisp weather can trigger the urge to get out and go leaf peeping and this year could be a particularly good year to hit the road and admire New England’s spectacular foliage season. According to Steve Roberge, Extension forestry specialist and professor of natural resources at the University of New Hampshire, we should expect to see Mother Nature put on a brightly colored show this fall.

“I am of the thought that fall foliage in New England is phenomenal every year because it is different year to year and always something impressive to see,” said Roberge. “But yes, the conditions this year are especially favorable for a bright spectrum of colors in New Hampshire and across New England.”

According to Roberge, in general, good foliage occurs when there is sufficient rainfall during the growing season and plenty of warm, sunny days and clear, cool nights in the late summer and early autumn. Even though there were some unusually hot and humid conditions in New England this year, there was not any significant drought or widespread pest or insect outbreak so the leaves remained fairly healthy.

“Brighter leaf colors in any particular year are absolutely driven by the weather—rainfall and sunshine tend to be the biggest factors determining the deep hues of fall foliage,” said Roberge. “But even in a bad weather year you will still see color because it is already in the leaves, it is just hidden, and their reveal is controlled by the length of the days and nights as we head into fall.”

Roberge explains that as the days get shorter and the nights get longer and colder, it causes the production of chlorophyll—the green color in leaves—to slow down. When that happens, it unmasks pigments hidden in the leaf, known as carotenoids and anthocyanin, and reveals the colors seen in the fall—the yellow, brown and russet, or the red and orange, respectively.

Each tree species starts to shut down production at its own pace with red maples in low lying areas and swamps showing off their colors first, often in mid-August. Other species like oak, ash, birch and other maples, need the long cool nights to show off their yellows, oranges and purples.

“There are so many factors at play that I tell people not to worry about trying to pick ‘the’ perfect day, enjoy the entire season,” said Roberge. “We’re lucky in New Hampshire to have such a diversity of tree types and landscapes from tall mountains to the seacoast that give us close to two months of color. So, get out into nature—drive up north, go for a hike, walk around your town, or simply look out the window, pick a tree and watch it change every day as it lights up with color.”

They slither across lawns and pastures in a sort of formation, chewing grass, plants and even weeds. Only an inch or inch-and-a-half long, the caterpillars do not look particularly destructive.

Don’t be fooled. Armyworms—named for their tendency to march in troops—have hatched in throngs this fall across North and Central Texas, where they are wreaking havoc.

Gardening groups on Facebook are rife with photos of the caterpillars and once-green lawns turned brown. Lawn care companies say they are receiving far more calls than usual, and agricultural organizations have published alerts.

“Watch for an armyworm feeding frenzy,” warned a headline from agricultural magazine Dairy Herd Management, which said “armyworms can reduce fields to sticks and stubble in a matter of days.”

Sonja Swiger, an entomologist for Texas A&M AgriLife, said a relatively rainy summer and abundance of lush greenery helped produce the bumper crop of armyworms. Swiger said she even spotted the caterpillars feasting near her crepe myrtles at her home in Stephenville, about 80 miles southwest of Fort Worth.

“They feed on grasses, pastures, parks, yards,” Swiger said. “They have a very large palate and can pretty much eat anything.”

Fall armyworms range in color from brown to gray, green or yellow-green, identifiable by an upside-down Y on their heads, according to Texas A&M AgriLife. They have four life stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult.

They feast on grass toward the end of their lives as caterpillars, before forming cocoons in the ground and emerging as adult moths, the last stage of their life cycle. Adult moths can lay up to 1,000 eggs in a single night, often on the undersides of leaves or structures, such as fence posts or house siding.

They typically live just a couple of weeks as adults, but their damage remains. The worms can decimate an entire football field in just two or three days, Swiger said.

Dustin Sykes, who owns Sykes Turf Management in Howe, just north of McKinney, said he began receiving calls about armyworms in August, several weeks earlier than usual. These days, he gets up to 200 calls a week. One woman reported that armyworms ravaged 16 acres of grass in just 48 hours.

“You can actually see the grass moving,” said Sykes, who has worked in lawn care for 15 years. “I’ve seen five acres wiped out overnight, and I’ve seen one house hit and not another house on that block. They’re unpredictable.”

Damage may initially resemble drought stress, according to AgriLife, but can progress to complete loss of foliage if worms are left untreated.

To protect your property, both Sykes and Swiger advised checking for armyworms in the morning and evening when they are most active. According to Texas A&M, infestations of two to three armyworms per square foot may justify using insecticide to protect crops. If left alone, the grass will likely recover on its own.

Fall armyworms are particularly susceptible to cold, so they typically retreat from North Texas in November with the first freeze of the year.

2024 The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.