The matter in summary Researchers have found signs of humorous behavior in monkeys, which may mean that the prerequisites for humor developed more than 13 million years ago. The study analyzed various social interactions among the monkeys, including play, mild harassment and provocative behavior. The researchers identified 18 different types of teasing behaviour, including dangling objects in another’s field of vision and pulling each other’s hair for attention. Biologist Helene Axelsen, who works with monkeys, confirms that she has seen similar behavior in practice. The researchers explain that this playful teasing has unique characteristics, and is a more one-sided activity where the recipient is to a certain extent passive. Researcher Isabelle Laumer says this behavior can help test social boundaries and create mutual enjoyment, potentially strengthening the relationship between prankster and receiver. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. Have you ever tapped someone on the shoulder and as they turn around you just pretend it’s nothing? Then you repeat the whole thing and laugh a little to yourself. Whether this is good humor can perhaps be debated, but it is a form of humor. And now researchers have found that this behavior is not unique to us humans. Because by studying various videos of baboons, orangutans, chimpanzees and gorillas, they have seen that all the apes do the same thing. This may mean that the prerequisites for humor developed more than 13 million years ago. Evolution timeline Ma = millions of years ago / Ka = thousand years ago before 7 Ma: Split between man and chimpanzee 7 Ma: Sahelanthropus 6 Ma: Orrorin 5.8 Ma: Oldest Ardipithecus 4.4 Ma: Youngest Ardipithecus 4.2 Ma: Oldest Australopithecus 2.6 Ma: Oldest stone tools (Oldowan culture) 2.5 Ma: Oldest robust Australopithecus 2.4 Ma: Oldest known Homo fossil 1.8 Ma: First Homo erectus outside Africa 1.5 Ma: Oldest hand axes 1 .4 Ma: Oldest bonfire 1.2 Ma: Homo erectus in Europe, last Australopithecus 800 Ka: Homo heidelbergensis 600 Ka: The split between the ancestors of the Neanderthals and modern humans 200 Ka: Homo sapiens 100 Ka: First Homo sapiens outside of Africa (Israel) 40 Ka: Homo sapiens in Europe 27 Ka: The Neanderthals are disappearing Source: The story of us, Torfinn Ørmen We start farting as babies Joking is an important part of human interaction. It testifies to social intelligence. Teasing has a lot in common with joking, and the game can be seen as a cognitive precursor to joking, write the researchers behind the new study. The first forms of this type of behavior among us humans appear even before we have learned to speak. We start joking at the age of eight months. Then infants tease their parents, among other things, by offering them an object, then withdrawing it. (Once again, one can debate how good humor this is…) But that monkeys also have the same cunning form of teasing play has now been documented for the first time among different groups. This orangutan is being cuddled by another young monkey in the herd. Photo: BOS FOUNDATION BPI Monkeying like a monkey The researchers analyzed various social interactions among the monkeys. This could be anything from play to mildly harassing or provocative behaviour. They looked in particular at what the animals did, how they moved their bodies, facial expressions and how the other party reacted. They also considered what the teasing party’s intention might be, looking for evidence that this behavior was directed at a specific target. Among all the great ape species, the researchers found signs of humorous behaviour. They identified a total of 18 different types of teasing behaviour. These included, among other things, dangling objects in another’s field of vision. Hitting or poking another monkey on the body and the researchers repeatedly saw monkeys pulling each other’s hair for attention. Here you can see various videos of monkeys messing with each other. Ape streaks among the chimpanzees Helene Axelsen is a biologist and employee at Dyreparken in Kristiansand. She is not surprised by what the researchers can now confirm. – For me, who works with monkeys, it is not surprising. Chimpanzees in particular, who live many together in herds, spend a lot of time playing, teasing and joking with each other. – Do you have examples? – Our one chimpanzee jokes a lot with the zookeepers. He fills his mouth with water and pretends nothing, but when you get close he spits the water in the zookeeper’s face. And it clearly thinks it’s funny, says the biologist. Helene Axelsen is a biologist at Dyreparken in Kristiansand. She works daily with monkeys. Photo: Privet Playful monkey In contrast to play, which is known to take place among animals throughout the animal kingdom, this playful teasing has unique characteristics, the researchers explain. First and foremost, it is a more one-sided activity, where the recipient is to some extent passive. In a quarter of the observations, the researchers saw that the monkey that was teased responded. – For me it was fascinating to find out how targeted and intentional this behavior is. The monkeys also showed signs of responding, indicating that they are interested in the reaction of the other. That’s what the researcher behind the study, Isabelle Laumer, told news. She is employed at the Max Planck Institute in Germany. Laumer further explains that previously only aggressive teasing and play among the great apes has been studied, and that this is the first time that playful teasing and humor have been systematically looked at. But can one explain why monkeys resort to this behavior? Laumer doesn’t have the answer, but says that for human children, this behavior can help test social boundaries. And that it also helps to create mutual joy, and thus potentially strengthen the relationship between the prankster and the receiver.
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Do monkeys have a sense of humor? New studies show that they tease and mess with each other – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
