Zoologists have identified signs of laughter in apes from tickling them.
According to the researchers, from Portsmouth University, efforts to trace the origin of laughter - which they say evolved over the past 10 milllion to 16 million years - look like the evolutionary family tree. Humans are more closely related to chimps and bonobos and least to orangutans. According to UK paper The Independent:
The analysis also revealed that gorillas and bonobos had some control over their breathing - a skill that was thought to be unique to humans and to have played an important role in the evolution of speech.
Laughter may have evolved, but humour clearly hasn't:
Anyway, you may remember the controversy about the so-called "warrior gene", which one scientist claimed was carried by Maori. Well, now the gene has been linked to gang membership.
"Previous research has linked low-activity MAOA variants to a wide range of antisocial, even violent, behavior, but our study confirms that these variants can predict gang membership," Kevin M Beaver, at Florida State University's College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, said. "Moreover, we found that variants of this gene could distinguish gang members who were markedly more likely to behave violently and use weapons from members who were less likely to do either."
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