Orangutans ape each other’s laughter
December 24, 2007
PORTSMOUTH The saying “laugh and the world laughs with you” may apply to animals as well as humans.
A study conducted by the University of Portsmouth and the Veterinary University in Hannover, found that contagious laughter, thought to be a human trait, broke out among orangutans when playing.
They studied how 25 orangutans, aged between two and twelve, reacted to different facial expressions pulled by their playmates.
Often, where one primate displayed an open, gaping mouth, the other animal started “laughing” in less than half a second, suggesting an involuntary reaction.
Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article3090382.ece
