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

UK Just BANNED Something That’s Been Costing Fans Millions

December 1, 2025

The UK government is outlawing reselling tickets for profit in a dramatic crackdown that will ban touts and ordinary consumers from charging anything more than the price they originally paid, ending a practice that has been estimated to cost fans $191 million annually. The decision, announced this week, comes after

Read More
Happy News

Italy’s Oldest Barista Has NO Plans To Stop Serving Coffee

December 1, 2025

Anna Possi has been brewing espressos and serving coffees for more than 80 years, and at 101 years old she still works from 7 in the morning until 7 in the evening with absolutely no intention of retiring anytime soon. She first started this kind of work at the end

Read More
Happy News

These Extinct Wildcats Are Coming BACK

December 1, 2025

European wildcats, one of the UK’s most critically endangered mammals that disappeared from England due to human persecution and habitat loss, could make a historic return from extinction as conservationists plan to reintroduce 50 of these elusive carnivores to mid Devon countryside starting in 2028. The South West Wildcat Project,

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.