US EditionFirst kiss dates back 21 million years, say scientists
Researchers used evolutionary models and primate data to trace kissing's origin to the common ancestor of great apes about 21 million years ago, with Neanderthals likely engaging too.
- On Nov. 19, a study led by University of Oxford and Florida Institute of Technology researchers published in Evolution and Human Behavior showed kissing stretches back roughly 21 million years.
- To answer why kissing exists, researchers led by Dr Matilda Brindle defined it as non‑aggressive mouth‑to‑mouth contact without food transfer and reviewed primate literature spanning species from Africa, Europe and Asia.
- Mapping traits across the primate family tree, the team used Bayesian statistical methods and a phylogenetic model, running ten million simulations for robust evolutionary estimates.
- The findings imply Neanderthals and modern humans probably kissed, supported by shared oral microbes and interbreeding evidence, while lip-touching appears inherited from large apes but absent in macaques and baboons.
- Only about 46 percent of cultures engage in kissing, highlighting its variability; the study provides a foundation for future research into origins like grooming and pre-chewing/food sharing.
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This study, presented as the first on the evolutionary history of the kiss, was published in the British specialized magazine "Evolution and Human Behaviour".
Kissing May Be 21M Years Old
Humans spend a lot more time kissing than they do thinking about why they kiss. But scientists intrigued by this question say the practice, which has no real survival or reproductive benefit, is built into us, likely originating with the common ancestor of humans and other great apes upward of...
The researchers concluded that modern humans, who lived at the same time, and Neanderthals, who have since become extinct, also kissed each other tens of thousands of years ago.
According to a new study, the mouth-to-mouth kiss was recorded more than 21 million years ago.
A new study led by Oxford University (UK) has found evidence that the kiss evolved into the common ancestor of humans and other great apes...
Monkey business: Neanderthals and ancient apes likely kissed too
London (AFP) -- Scientists have found evidence suggesting that kissing dates back up to 21 million years and that our ape ancestors and Neanderthals likely locked lips, research published Wednesday said.
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