Why do animals appear more symmetrical than humans? What's the truth?

Question

Hello Doctor! It is a different question I have: how come other animals (but humans) have almost perfect symmetrical looking compared to us. My face and body are so unbalnced in an extreme way (facial asymmetry). All of the animals I met have almost great symmetrical face and body. No need to tell me nother is perfect. But they are nearly perfect compared to me! How come!! Pet's info: Cat | Savannah Cat | Male | neutered | 6 months and 20 days old | 18 lbs

Kevin Sanada, DVM · Accepted Answer

That's a very interesting observation. I'm not sure that anyone has ever compared facial symmetry between humans and other animals in a scientific way, but I would bet that the incidence of facial asymmetry is about the same. There are a couple of reasons why it may appear that they are more symmetrical: 1) They have hair covering their body, which will blur much of the distortion. I can't tell you how many times I noticed asymmetry in an animal where the owner never noticed. 2) Humans are particularly keen at facial recognition. Our brains are more specialized for seeing fine features in each other's faces, which will make any asymmetry more obvious than it would with an animal. 3) Some of the more obviously assemetric animals may not make it far in life. The sad truth is that millions of animals are euthanized each year for the sole reason that they are not wanted. Unfortunately, many people want a cute, designer pet and the less cute ones could more quickly end up in the shelter and have less chance of adoption. Those are my top ideas for why animals may appear more symmetric. I hope that helps.

Why do animals appear more symmetrical than humans? What's the truth?

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