Skip to content
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Menu
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Happy News

The Evolution Of Kissing Goes Back 21 MILLION Years

Scientists have reconstructed the evolutionary origins of kissing and discovered that mouth on mouth smooching evolved more than 21 million years ago, likely practiced by the common ancestor of humans and other great apes. Lead researcher Dr. Matilda Brindle from the University of Oxford explained that because humans, chimps, and bonobos all kiss, it’s likely their most recent common ancestor also engaged in this behavior that presents something of an evolutionary puzzle since it has no obvious survival or reproductive benefits. The study, published in the journal Evolution and Human Behaviour, defined kissing very precisely as non aggressive, directed oral oral contact “with some movement of lips or mouthparts and no food transfer” to ensure they were comparing the same behavior across different species.

By finding evidence of kissing in wolves, prairie dogs, polar bears who engage in very sloppy kisses with lots of tongue, and even albatrosses, scientists were able to construct an evolutionary family tree to pinpoint when this behavior most likely evolved. The research also concluded that Neanderthals probably kissed too, and that modern humans and Neanderthals may have even smooched one another, evidenced by the fact that both species shared an oral microbe found in saliva, meaning they must have been swapping spit for hundreds of thousands of years after the two species split. While the study successfully pinpointed when kissing evolved, it couldn’t answer why, though theories suggest it arose from grooming behavior in ape ancestors or might provide an intimate way to assess the health and compatibility of a partner. Dr. Brindle emphasized the importance of studying this behavior seriously rather than dismissing it as silly because of its romantic connotations in humans, noting that “it’s important for us to understand that this is something we share with our non human relatives” that deserves scientific attention.

PrevPreviousUK Just BANNED Something That’s Been Costing Fans Millions
NextFree Transit Cut Emissions By Over 25,000 TONSNext

Recent Articles

Happy News

Free Transit Cut Emissions By Over 25,000 TONS

December 2, 2025

Iowa City eliminated bus fares in August 2023 with a goal of lowering car emissions and encouraging public transit, and the two year pilot program proved so wildly popular that the City Council voted this summer to extend it another year, paying for it with a 1 percent increase in

Read More
Happy News

The Evolution Of Kissing Goes Back 21 MILLION Years

December 2, 2025

Scientists have reconstructed the evolutionary origins of kissing and discovered that mouth on mouth smooching evolved more than 21 million years ago, likely practiced by the common ancestor of humans and other great apes. Lead researcher Dr. Matilda Brindle from the University of Oxford explained that because humans, chimps, and

Read More
Happy News

She Lost Her Language, Now At 87 She’s Getting It Back

December 2, 2025

Louise Fraser crossed the convocation stage at the University of Saskatchewan on Wednesday at age 87 to pick up her bachelor’s degree in education, becoming one of the oldest graduates at the university and beginning a journey to reclaim something that was once forcibly taken from her. Fraser lost her

Read More
« Previous Next »
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2025 HappyNews.