A global group of primatologists and cognitive biologists has now observed playful teasing in four species of large apes. The ancestors of all four great ape species utilized playful teasing, suggesting that at least 13 million years ago the necessary elements of humour originated in the human lineage. Joking and teasing are quite similar, and playful teasing can be thought of as the cognitive antecedent to joking. Cartmill notes that playful teasing in great apes is one-sided and typically originates from the teaser throughout the entire engagement, with little to no reciprocation. Laumer explains, “From an evolutionary perspective, playful teasing and its cognitive prerequisites may have been present in our last common ancestor, at least 13 million years ago.

Source: Daily News Egypt February 19, 2024 19:19 UTC