For a long time we believed that our species was the only one endowed with an articulated language, underestimating the expressive and comprehension abilities of other animals. Recent research in the field of animal cognition has shown that numerous species are capable of communicating with one another in complex ways and possess cultural systems. Not only that, some of them are able to interpret the emotional states of human beings by analysing their facial expressions — among these are goats.

Goats like dogs

Until now we had attributed this characteristic to a narrow circle of animals we have lived alongside for millennia, such as dogs and horses, yet goats would appear to be capable of it too. This is the finding of the study entitled Goats prefer positive human emotional facial expressions, conducted by a group of British, Brazilian and German researchers and published in the journal Royal society open science. The researchers discovered that these animals are able to distinguish between happy and angry human expressions, showing a clear preference for the former.

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Goats like a good mood too

The scientists showed the goats taking part in the experiment (residents of the Buttercups sanctuary for goats, a sanctuary for mistreated or abandoned goats in Kent) two photographs side by side, depicting a smiling person and a person with a frowning or angry expression. The aim of the tests was to understand goats' affectivity. The goats showed a clear preference for photos depicting smiling people, though it remains unclear whether the choice is driven by a genuine preference or by a desire to avoid photos of angry faces.

Looking at goats with fresh eyes

The study's co-author, Natália de Souza Albuquerque of the Universidade federal de São Paulo (Unifesp), is enthusiastic about the results and believes they could help to change the common perception of certain animals, such as goats, and have implications for animal welfare on farms. "Until now there was no evidence that animals such as goats were able to read human facial expressions," the Brazilian researcher stated. "Our results open new avenues for understanding the emotional lives of all domesticated animals. Answering these questions and advancing knowledge of animal behaviour is not a simple act of curiosity, but a way of addressing complex philosophical questions. We would not be who we are without our interaction with animals. Understanding these relationships is extremely important for us."

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Rethinking our relationship with animals

The ability to perceive our emotions may not be limited to livestock. "The study has important implications for the way we interact with livestock and other species, because animals' ability to perceive human emotions could be widespread and not limited solely to domestic animals," said the study's lead author, Alan McElligott.