- Humans and great apes share similar laughter rhythms from a common ancestor
- Researchers tickled 13 apes and compared their laughs to four young children's giggles
- Great ape and human laughter shows regular timing and rhythmic patterns
Laughter may seem like a simple reaction, but it could carry a deep connection to human history. A new study suggests that humans and great apes may have been giggling in similar ways since they split from a common evolutionary path, reported NYPost.
Researchers tested this idea by tickling 13 captive apes, including gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees, and bonobos, and recording their responses. They later compared these recordings with the giggles of four young children who were tickled and playing at home.
The study found that the laughter of humans and great apes follows similar rhythms, with regular timing between laughs. Researchers believe this pattern may reflect a shared link to a common ancestor.
In the study, author Chiara De Gregorio says that in a way, humans are very similar to other great apes because they have been laughing in a similar way for 15 million years.
Laughter is a way of showing playfulness and happiness without words. While many animals can laugh, their sounds do not follow human patterns as closely. For example, rats produce ultrasonic squeaks when tickled.
Scientists have studied facial expressions in animals to understand laughter, but less attention has been given to the sound itself. Human laughter is more complex and can change depending on the situation, from a polite chuckle to a loud laugh among friends.
De Gregorio says that humans are like the masters of laughter, and the findings were published in the journal Communications Biology.
Researcher Brittany Florkiewicz says that these differences likely evolved based on animals' social lives, and she believes the findings are reasonable but need more study. She adds that recordings of other animals such as dogs, horses, and cats could help scientists understand laughter better.
Florkiewicz says that this research could help people understand what makes humans unique and what is shared with other animals.
Scientists say that studying laughter may also help explain how human communication developed, even though sounds do not fossilize. Researchers continue to study these clues one laugh at a time.
