Just like humans, chimps giggle even when the joke isn’t funny
March 2nd, 2011 - 2:51 pm ICT by ANILondon, Mar 2 (ANI): Scientists have discovered that chimpanzees can share a joke just like any human and are also capable of sharing a laugh even when they don’t find something particularly funny.
A study of wild chimpanzees has found that laughter occurs not just when chimps are having fun but also when they want to promote some kind of social bonding - much like human smiles help bonding in a conversation.
“Humans clearly use laughter as an important response in a wide range of social situations, but it is particularly interesting that chimpanzees seem to also use laughter to respond in such distinct ways,” the Independent quoted Marina Davila-Ross of Portsmouth University, as saying.
“We found their responsive laughter shows a similarity to the conversational laughter of humans,” added Davila-Ross.
The study examined laughter in 59 chimpanzees at Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage in Zambia. (ANI)
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Tags: chimpanzees, chimps, having fun, joke, laugh, laughter, london, portsmouth university, ross, scientists, similarity, smiles, social situations, wildlife orphanage, zambia