Seed: Practical Joking:
"The authors begin their evolutionary tale of laughter well before humor came into the mix, arguing that laughter is a more basic function than even language. 'Not only does it precede language developmentally...it probably preceded language in terms of evolution,' Wilson said. 'So, there was a time in our history when we were laughing before we were talking.'
Laughter-like behavior started before we split from apes, the researchers say. As they tickle each other and horse around, apes give a pant-grunt, which Wilson said is a clear precursor to laughter. Wilson added that neural activity associated with laughter occurs in an ancient part of the brain, further demonstrating that laughter developed long ago. The Binghamton team estimates that laughter evolved into its modern form somewhere between two- and four-million years ago, after our transition to two-footed walking but before the beginning of human language.
Wilson and Gervais believe laughter allowed hominids living on the savanna to create a unified feeling of safety and comfort within a group. 'It only takes place in a safe context,' Wilson said. 'If you tickle a baby and it's a safe context, then the baby laughs. But if it becomes menacing, then the baby cries. And whenever things get serious—if you're really hungry, if you're really scared—you don't laugh.'
The stimuli that trigger laughter are reliable indications of safety, Gervais said. As laughter only occurs in these safe conditions, it communicates a sense of security to other members of a group, bringing everyone into an emotional state conducive to bonding. This may have given groups an evolutionary advantage. 'Laughter could have evolved—at least in part—via a process of group selection, whereby groups with more laughter and social play were able to out-compete groups with less laughter and social play,' Gervais said."
"The authors begin their evolutionary tale of laughter well before humor came into the mix, arguing that laughter is a more basic function than even language. 'Not only does it precede language developmentally...it probably preceded language in terms of evolution,' Wilson said. 'So, there was a time in our history when we were laughing before we were talking.'
Laughter-like behavior started before we split from apes, the researchers say. As they tickle each other and horse around, apes give a pant-grunt, which Wilson said is a clear precursor to laughter. Wilson added that neural activity associated with laughter occurs in an ancient part of the brain, further demonstrating that laughter developed long ago. The Binghamton team estimates that laughter evolved into its modern form somewhere between two- and four-million years ago, after our transition to two-footed walking but before the beginning of human language.
Wilson and Gervais believe laughter allowed hominids living on the savanna to create a unified feeling of safety and comfort within a group. 'It only takes place in a safe context,' Wilson said. 'If you tickle a baby and it's a safe context, then the baby laughs. But if it becomes menacing, then the baby cries. And whenever things get serious—if you're really hungry, if you're really scared—you don't laugh.'
The stimuli that trigger laughter are reliable indications of safety, Gervais said. As laughter only occurs in these safe conditions, it communicates a sense of security to other members of a group, bringing everyone into an emotional state conducive to bonding. This may have given groups an evolutionary advantage. 'Laughter could have evolved—at least in part—via a process of group selection, whereby groups with more laughter and social play were able to out-compete groups with less laughter and social play,' Gervais said."
Comments