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News: Study traces evolution of human giggles.

Study traces evolution of human giggles

http://www.wrcbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10479460

Associated Press - June 4, 2009 2:43 PM ET

NEW YORK (AP) - Researchers looking into the origins of human laughter
say gorillas were tickled to help a new study. Literally.

That was how the researchers made their animal and human subjects
laugh. They say their findings suggest that people and great apes
inherited laughter from a shared ancestor that lived more than 10
million years ago.

The study at a British university involved three babies and 21 chimps,
gorillas and other apes. They were tickled, and researchers analyzed
11 traits in the sound made by each species.

It had long been noted that apes make certain sounds while playing or
being tickled, but the sounds are different from how humans laugh. The
ape sounds are more like rapid panting or a series of grunts. But now
researchers say the ape sounds appear to be related to what humans do.

It's believed to be the first formal study of how chimps and other
apes respond to tickling. The findings are reported online in the
journal Current Biology.

--
Bob.