This coffeesode explores the evolutionary origins of human laughter, proposing that it emerged as a supplementary social bonding mechanism to address limitations imposed by social grooming in larger hominin groups. The discussion examines the link between laughter, endorphin release, and social bonding in humans, using research that centers on both experimental data and a reverse-engineering approaches. The findings of referred research suggest laughter likely originated with the genus Homo around 2.5 million years ago, predating language. The conversation concludes by suggesting avenues for future investigation into the physiological and anatomical markers of laughter's evolution.
Reference-
Dunbar RIM. 2022 Laughter and its role in the evolution of human social bonding. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 377: 20210176. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2021.0176
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