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Human Laughter Up To 16 Million Years Old

An anonymous reader writes "Published today in the journal Current Biology, a new study shows that laughter is not a unique human trait, but a behavior shared by all great apes. Tickle a baby chimpanzee and it will giggle just like a human infant. This is because laughter evolved millions of years ago in one of our common ancestors, say scientists."

13 of 149 comments (clear)

  1. and today... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    those same apes are still laughing at us 'evolved' humans.

  2. The monsters! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    They tickled three human babies for this experiment.

    1. Re:The monsters! by Goldberg's+Pants · · Score: 5, Funny

      Human Laughter Up To 16 Million Years Old

      That's funny, because so are the gags on "According to Jim".

  3. hmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    I didn't realize we were able to hear someone or something from 16 million years ago laugh to *know* that action is that old. Scientists sure do like to take liberties with what they say has evolved. The logic used to state, with a straight face no less, that 2 animals which share the same trait must have evolved from a common organism is astoundingly incorrect. Just as much proof exists to say that they, at the very least, could have evolved from separate organisms. Shall I even mention the leap of faith required to even consider whether those same 2 animals evolved in the first place? We may as well assume that 2 people with brown hair must have had the same parents or that 2 people both born with webbed feet came from the same parents. But that logic would just be absurd wouldn't it? And since I'm speaking out against the liberal agenda I must post as AC or else be modded down simply for disagreeing with the desired establishment.

    1. Re:hmmm by Tenebrousedge · · Score: 2, Funny

      Mod parent up, +1 Funny.

      --
      Those who advocate genocide deserve every protection afforded by law, and none afforded by common human decency.
    2. Re:hmmm by interkin3tic · · Score: 4, Funny

      After all these years, creationists are still resorting to the same strawman arguments. I guess changing their tactics over time to be more successful would be hypocritical.

  4. Imagine being a comic... by SupremoMan · · Score: 5, Funny

    16 million and 1 years ago? Talk about a tough crowd... and no booze or blow to help take the edge off.

  5. First Fart Joke.. by retech · · Score: 1, Funny

    In other news, the first fart joke is thought to be nearly 16 million years old. Since even the most primal of hominids would have had fingers to be pulled when trying to relieve gas.

  6. I want that job by psnyder · · Score: 4, Funny

    A: So what do you do for a living?
    B: I tickle orangutan babies and then write about it.

  7. Re:No touchy! by commodoresloat · · Score: 2, Funny

    My point is, how do we know the apes are laughing? How do we know they're enjoying it and not just incapable of fighting it off like I was when I was little?

    Actually, they were measuring the researchers' laughter. The orangutans didn't like being tickled at all, but the researchers thought it was funny as hell.

  8. Re:No touchy! by retech · · Score: 2, Funny

    It because you have Asperger's.

  9. 24-bit Value by troll8901 · · Score: 2, Funny

    In other news, scientists have named these 16 million old laughter as "True Laughter". In comparison, the human laughter is named "Hi Laughter", believed to be between 16384 and 262144 years old.

  10. Re:First joke by youn · · Score: 2, Funny

    I thought the first sign of humor was the now famous phrase, "is that a banana or are you happy to see me"

    --
    Never antropomorphize computers, they do not like that :p