When we meet a person, a question sometimes arises: “Shall we kiss”? Come on, go for a few kisses slapped on both cheeks to say helloand goodbye. In my department, Seine-et-Marne, we kiss each other twice, and we generally start by turning our right cheek. In Normandy, my son’s adopted region, it’s the left cheek and four kisses! Well, I admit, in a family reunion, I manage to arrive among the first guests, and thus avoid distributing kisses to everyone! I still appreciated the COVID 19 period during which we no longer kissed each other all the time! But tell me, do you know where this kissing habit comes from? What if it was, in reality, an ancestral gesture inherited from our ancestors, the primates? This is what some scientific studies suggest. Decryption.
A fascinating new study on the origin of kissing
This study was carried out by Adriano R. Lameiraprimatologist and evolutionary psychologist at the University of Warwick, and published on onlinelibrary.wiley.com. The primatologist proposes an astonishing theory: the kiss could be a legacy of our primate ancestorsa behavior that has evolved over millennia to strengthen social bonds. Concretely, among primates, the “kiss” is a gesture of hygiene, which allows mutual grooming. Thus, according to the study, this “kiss” aimed to eliminate parasites from primates, and strengthened the bonds between individuals in a pack.
How did primate kissing become human?
When I observe a great ape, I am convinced that man is descended from it, its facial expressions and attitudes are so identical to ours! Our human ancestors like Neanderthals were more of the hairy type, but this hair gradually faded, making delousing less necessary. As for kissing, it would, in fact, be a transformation of this practice that Pr Lameira evokes the “groomer’s last kiss” theory, suggesting that the kiss is a trace of these ancient grooming practicesadapted for the social contexts of modern humans. And, this practice is widespread since in 90% of modern cultures, kissing is a form of human contact, strengthening social bonds, or showing a certain affection.
A mechanism inherited from our primate ancestors?
Yes, again, if we observe a great ape, it presses its lips against one surface (the other) and sometimes applies light suction. Doesn’t this remind you of the “kiss” that we apply to a cheek or from time to time in the wind? As for the intimate kiss that we give on the lips of our partner, it is also a kiss, but that we only reserve for certain very close people. The study also explains that if this gesture has lost its “hygienic function”, it is because our hair has almost disappearedbut there remains action to strengthen social bonds. And you ? Do you prefer two, three or four kisses or do you prefer a handshake to greet those you meet? Please notify us of any errors in the text, click here to post a comment.
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