Where did kissing come from? | BBC News

Key Concepts

Evolutionary Origins of Kissing: The study traces the evolutionary history of kissing back approximately 21 million years.
Primate Kissing Behavior: Evidence from various primate species (chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans) is used to understand the origins of kissing.
Biological Puzzle: Kissing is described as a biological puzzle due to its lack of obvious survival or reproductive benefits.
Data Collection Methodology: Researchers gathered data by observing kissing behavior in different species, including reviewing literature and YouTube videos.
Neanderthal Kissing: The study suggests Neanderthals likely kissed and may have even kissed modern humans.
Future Research Encouragement: The study aims to stimulate further research into mouth-to-mouth behavior in the animal kingdom.

Origins and Evolutionary History of Kissing

Scientists have determined that kissing likely evolved approximately 21 million years ago. This conclusion was reached by examining evidence of kissing behavior across different primate species. The researchers gathered data by observing whether kissing had been documented in a particular species, recording its presence or absence. This involved extensive research, including reviewing scientific literature and even searching through YouTube videos.

Kissing in the Animal Kingdom

The study highlights that kissing is not exclusive to humans and is surprisingly common in the animal kingdom. Specific examples of animals observed to kiss include:

Chimpanzees
Bonobos
Orangutans
Polar bears
Wolves

The Biological Puzzle of Kissing

The mouth-to-mouth kiss is considered a "biological puzzle" by scientists because it does not appear to offer any clear survival or reproductive advantages. This lack of obvious evolutionary benefit makes its widespread occurrence a subject of scientific inquiry.

Data Limitations and Future Research

A significant challenge encountered during the research was the scarcity of data on kissing behavior across various animal species. The researchers acknowledge that there is "very little data on kissing behavior across all animal species." Consequently, one of the primary goals of this study is to encourage and "spur future research" by prompting scientists to begin recording more detailed information about any observed mouth-to-mouth behaviors in different animal species.

Neanderthals and Kissing

The new study also extends the evolutionary timeline of kissing to include ancient human relatives. It suggests that Neanderthals, who died out around 40,000 years ago, "probably kissed too." Furthermore, there is some evidence indicating that Neanderthals "may even have smooched with modern humans" during the period when both species coexisted.

Conclusion and Call for Further Investigation

The researchers hope that this "intimate insight" into the origins of kissing will motivate more scientists to collect data. This increased data collection is crucial for ultimately solving the evolutionary mystery of why humans and many other animals engage in kissing behavior. Victoria Gil of BBC News reported on these findings.