Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36552413›Full record

ArticleAnimals : an open access journal from MDPI2022

Changes in Cat Facial Morphology Are Related to Interaction with Humans.

Madoka Hattori, Atsuko Saito, Miho Nagasawa, Takefumi Kikusui, Shinya Yamamoto

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Copy-cat evolution: Divergence and convergence within and between cat and dog breeds.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025
    Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Madoka HattoriWildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, 2-24 Tanaka-Sekiden-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8203, Japan.
Atsuko SaitoDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Sophia University, 7-1 Kioicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8554, Japan.ORCID 0000-0002-2028-9177
Miho NagasawaDepartment of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, 1-17-71 Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara-shi 252-5201, Japan.
Takefumi KikusuiDepartment of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, 1-17-71 Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara-shi 252-5201, Japan.
Shinya YamamotoWildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, 2-24 Tanaka-Sekiden-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8203, Japan.ORCID 0000-0002-7556-6151

Funding

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 19H00629Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 22H04451Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 22H05653
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

We aimed to clarify the changes in facial morphology of cats in relation to their interactions with humans. In Study 1, we compared the facial morphology of cats (feral mixed breed, owned domestic mixed breed, and owned domestic purebreds) with that of African wildcats. After collecting 3295 photos, we found that owned domestic cats' noses were significantly shorter than those of African wildcats and feral mixed breed, and there were no significant differences between the latter two. The eye angles were significantly more gradual in owned domestic purebreds than in the other groups. In Study 2, we examined the correlation between facial morphology and years with the owner, and found that the former is not affected by the latter. This suggests that changes in facial morphology are possibly transgenerational changes. The difference in facial morphology between wildcats and owned cats might be caused by domestication, and that between feral cats and owned cats might be due to feralization. In Study 3, we investigated whether cats' facial features affect cuteness ratings. We asked human participants to evaluate the cuteness of cats' face images and found that faces with shorter nose lengths were considered cuter. This suggests that owned domestic cats' facial morphology is preferred by humans.

Indexed as

catsdomesticationdomestication syndromefaceferalizationmorphologytransgenerational change

Identifiers

PMID36552413
PMCPMC9774281

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.