Are we the only species with a generalized "cute" reflex? Other mammals, even other primates, do seem to have more of a tendency to just kill infants that aren't theirs, especially if that'll make room for some of theirs.
But we not only go googly over other people's babies, we go mushy over all sorts of other baby mammals, including ones that will grow up to think of us as prey. Oversized eyes, ears, paws and heads just make us go "squeeee!".
It doesn't seem like the greatest reflex, as far as fitness functions go. Sure, it stops us from killing our own kids, but it could also stop us from killing a threat before it became one. Is it a cultural thing? Certainly it's not entirely hard-wired, because there *are* infanticides, and people who'll kill kittens, and such.
Which of course leads to the question, could aliens or goblins with oversized heads and eyes and such take us over? Would we be too busy going "Aw how kyoot" to defend ourselves?
Maybe emoticons *are* those aliens.
Stephanie Piu-Mun Law art for my story!
Joy
