Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-14
FACIAL EXPRESSION.
Traced by the EvOlutlOnfxt Back
Savage Instincts.

Traced by the EvOlutlonfst Back to
Savage Instincts.
Edouard Cuyer set forth at a recent ses-
sion IF the rransformistes Of Paris the
latest view OF the evolutionist as to the
origin of facial expression in man. His
lecture is summarized in a bulletin of the
Societe d'Anthropologie.
G. B. Duchenne, twenty years ago. made
some remarkable photographs of a human
face. which, after being treated with a
local anaesthetic, was subjected to galvanic
action. applied now to one muscle, now to
another, with the result that the proper
expression for each of several passions was
depicted on the unconscious face The pho
tegraphs are now preserved In the Ecole
des Beaux Arts Darwin was much inter-
ested in the experiments of Duchenne, and
subsequent evolutionists have thought the
photographs highly valuable from an an
thropoiogical point of view.
The photographs, with the account given
OF the experiments by Duchenne, make it
plain just what muscles are called into play
to give the face the expression proper to
this or that passion. and there is some evil
dence tending to prove that whatever ex-
preston in the eye is supposed to be unre-
lated to muscular action is illusory. In
vesdgatfon proves that the mechanism by
which the face is made to express feeling
Is simpler than might be supposed.
Attention is expressed by a muscular
Object
according to the evolutionist, was to widen
the eyes so that our brute or semi brute
ancestors might see what danger approach
ed. Surprise Is expressed by still greater
eieVation OF the eyebrows, again for the
purpose of enabling the eyes to take in the
astonishing object, often accompanied by
an opening Of the mouth, caused by the
dropping of the lower jaw. This last re-
suits from SO intense preoccupation with
the object of surprise that the man is be-
trayed into forgetfulness and muscular re-
taxation. Then, too. the lips may be parted
Tor the deep Inspiration that startled
my or in preparing for defense.
The reflex Of all this is seen in the lower
ing or the brows at times of contemplation
this to shut out distracting visions about
one: II Is noted that the hand Is involun-
tarily lifted to shade the eyes when some
puzzling question Is presented. This look
passes. by the aid of the pyramidal muscles
at the nose near the broWs into the look
OF menace and anger.
Muscles about the mouth help to produce
expressions OF sadness, contempt and dis
gust, this last when the lower lip droops
and curls. These expressions the lecturer
traced to the Involuntary effort to eject
disagreeable things from the mouth. Our
ancestors were children, so to speak and
the civilized babe of today, on finding a
bitter object In the mouth first draws down
the corners of the lips, then turns the lower
lip outward to help eject the disagreed BILE
thing, and as a final resource thrusts out
the tongue 10 expeI the offending bitter
ness We retain, to express extreme dis
gust and hatred, this thrusting out of the
tongue.
Amusement or pleasure is expressed bv a
smile that widens the mouth and raises it
at the corners. The cheeks are ridged at
the same time. and there are raylike marks
about the eyes. The smile of pleasure.
which begins thus with the opening of the
mouth. Is traced to the Joy of our savage
ancestors at the prospect of being fed It
Is a selfish Jay, and NJ. Cuyer is cynical
enough to believe that most of our smiles
are the result of gratfied selfshness We
welcome our friends with a smile that as
much as anything else, perhaps, expresses
our selfish pleasure in anticipation of di-
version or at the secret thought of our own
cieverness which is to entertain the visitor.
often our smiles are of self-complacence or
condescension, and then there are the
smiles OF defiance, which are simply a sur
ViVai Of the ungenial way in which our
savage ancestors grinned in order to show
a formidable array of teeth to an enemy.
Man is not the only laughing animal