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Human Laughter Up To 16 Million Years Old

Posted by samzenpus on from the a-pierolapithecus-catalaunicus-walks-into-a-bar dept.

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."

2 of 149 comments (clear)

  1. Re:hmmm by bogjobber · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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?

    OK, I'll bite. Nobody other than you is saying that humans *must* have evolved from a common ancestor with other apes simply because of a single shared trait. It's a very well-documented scientific fact that humans and other apes share a common ancestor. Modern genetics, biology, study of fossil records, etc. all repeatedly confirm this theory. And it's pretty reasonable to suggest that a trait present in all species of a family was present in their shared common ancestor.

    Science isn't a tool of "the liberal agenda." Evolve yourself a brain and read a fucking biology textbook.

  2. Re:No touchy! by thecod · · Score: 4, Insightful

    From the article:

    If you tickle an orangutan, for example, it makes a series of loud panting hoots; it would be easy to mistake these sounds for pain or distress, rather than joy.

    How do we know they're enjoying it and not just incapable of fighting it off like I was when I was little?

    Because they -are- capable of fighting it off!