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.

PrevPreviousShe Lost Her Language, Now At 87 She’s Getting It Back
NextFree Transit Cut Emissions By Over 25,000 TONSNext

Recent Articles

Happy News

A Teen Just Solved A Huge Microplastic Problem

March 26, 2026

Mia Heller is 18 years old, lives in Warrington, Virginia, and has invented a water filter that removes 96 percent of microplastics from drinking water using a magnetic oil and a clever self-recycling system she built herself in her garage and kitchen. The idea started when her local newspaper reported

Read More
Happy News

Science Just Explained Why Music Makes You Feel Closer To People

March 26, 2026

Most people feel it but cannot fully explain it: the way a song playing in a room seems to pull people closer together, the way a shared playlist can make strangers feel briefly like they know each other. A new study from Yale School of Medicine has now provided one

Read More
Happy News

Who Invented The 60-Minute Hour And Why It Was Genius

March 26, 2026

Every time you glance at a clock, you are using a mathematical idea invented more than 4,000 years ago, and most people have never stopped to wonder why. The reason there are 60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour has nothing to do with modern science

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 © 2026 HappyNews.