Interesting animal laughter

Research shows that the sounds animals make when communicating with their fellow humans have similarities with human laughter.

Primates make laughter when they play. However, laughter in animals often means an invitation to mate, join a herd, or find food. The meaning of animal laughter Laughing together helps people connect and bond. Although the reason for laughing can vary widely between individuals and groups, this sound can still be distinguished from crying, screaming, groaning or shouting. In humans, laughter expresses a wide range of emotions, from positive such as amusement to negative such as annoyance. People laugh when they hear an interesting story or when they see funny things. But what about animals? Do they laugh and is the reason they laugh the same way humans laugh? It’s hard to tell if animals have a sense of humor like humans. A study published in the journal Bioacoustics in April 2021 found that when communicating, animals sometimes make sounds that have a comforting, pleasant nuance. Sasha Winkler, lead author of the study, at the University of California, Los Angeles (USA), said that rhesus monkeys (scientific name Macaca mulatta) often pant when playing. This is the inspiration for her and her colleagues to expand their research on animal laughter. They looked to see if other animals let out gasps like rhesus monkeys during play. The researchers say that such sounds closely resemble human laughter. They continued to study the prevalence of laughter among animals. The team identified 65 species that “laughed” while playing, most of which were mammals. Some birds also make cheerful sounds. This analysis helps scientists go back to the evolutionary origins of laughter in humans. When playing, animals may cry or laugh to keep interactions at a harmonious level, not becoming aggressive. Unlike fighting, the concept of play in animals is often mating, foraging. Play can be clearly seen in primates because their facial muscles show human-like expressions when playing. The study grew out of an experiment from 2017 on kea parrots living in New Zealand. Experts recorded the laughter of the kea parrots and played them back for others to hear. As a result, these parrots will play together relatively closely. This study shows that the laughter of kea parrots is like an invitation to others to join the flock or to feed together. Investigation results show that mammals, especially primates, rodents, carnivores and cetaceans emit similar sounds. These sounds are only emitted when playing, such as the whistle like the whistle of a bottlenose dolphin (scientific name is Tursiops truncatus), the hiss of a mouse. Most primates, including chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, and baboons, exhibit laughter by: panting, smirking, chuckling to “click, clack” and loud cries. . Birds emit laughter to attract their fellow humans. Laughing is not just for fun Research also shows that fish, amphibians and reptiles do not produce laughter because this group may not organize play activities. However, laughter between humans and animals is quite different. Usually, people’s laughter shows that they are having fun or sharing their joy with those around them. People also put laughter into communication to express their attitudes and feelings towards the behavior of people around them. For example, smirking, sarcastic laughter, sarcastic laughter to express a reaction of praise or disapproval of the actions of people around. But in some animals, laughing is not synonymous with cheerfulness. For example, hyenas often laugh when feeling dangerous, threatened, attacked or simply upset. Human and animal laughter also differ in volume. For example, older hyenas often laugh at a low pitch while young hyenas’ laughter is high, even shrill. Some species laugh very softly, just enough for the other person to hear. While human laughter is loud, loud and nuanced. Before Winkler, in 2000, Jaak Panskeep, a psychologist and neuroscientist working at Washington State University, USA, discovered that tickled rats emit chirping sounds similar to the sounds they make when they play. Some lab rats liked to be tickled so much that they simulated this amusing activity. From there, Panskeep and his colleagues began to seriously study the play of animals. He identified seven basic emotional expressions activated by the mammalian brain. Since then, he has applied this result to the study of human emotions and found a treatment for depression in humans. Panskeep has clinically developed an antidepressant, named GLYX-13. He considers this modulation product to be proof that scientists should seriously evaluate the emotional state of animals. Animal studies could pave the way for the development of psychopharmaceuticals for humans. He also added that we think rats and monkeys can laugh because they are smart. But in fact, intelligence is not a funny factor. Play in any animal can stimulate laughter, increase cognitive ability.