Oo oo, ha ha: why humans and great apes giggle alike when tickled
New research reveals that the rhythmic patterns of laughter in humans and great apes are remarkably similar, particularly when tickled.
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The brief
Scientists have discovered that the giggles produced by humans and great apes share similar characteristics. The research involved studying the laughter of apes, specifically in response to being tickled, to analyze the rhythmic roots of these vocalizations.
Coverage from Nature, The New York Times, AP News, Yahoo, and BBC Wildlife Magazine emphasizes the rhythm and timing of these sounds. Nature reports that this evidence suggests human vocal plasticity exists on a hominid continuum.
Future analysis may focus on what these shared laughter patterns can reveal about the development and nature of human language.
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Quick answers
How did scientists trigger the laughter in apes?
According to The New York Times, the researchers tickled the apes.
What does the research suggest about human vocal plasticity?
Nature reports that the rhythm and timing of laughter reveal that human vocal plasticity falls on a hominid continuum.
Which animals were compared to humans in this study?
The study compared humans with great apes.
Coverage (6)
- Scientists studied the laughter of apes – and discovered something incredibly human-like BBC Wildlife Magazine · 8h ago
- What an ape’s laugh can teach us about human language Yahoo · 8h ago
- Get a load of this: Humans and great apes share similar giggles AP News · 8h ago
- Rhythm and timing in laughter reveal that human vocal plasticity falls on a hominid continuum Nature · 8h ago broke it first
- To Reveal the Rhythmic Roots of Laughter, Just Tickle an Ape The New York Times · 8h ago
- Oo oo, ha ha: why humans and great apes giggle alike when tickled Nature · 8h ago broke it first