Do only humans laugh?
Laughter in animals Laughter might not be confined or unique to humans, despite Aristotle’s observation that “only the human animal laughs”. The differences between chimpanzee and human laughter may be the result of adaptations that have evolved to enable human speech. However, some behavioral psychologists argue that self-awareness of one’s situation, or the ability to identify with another’s predicament are prerequisites for laughter, and thus certain animals are not laughing in the “human manner”. An Orangutan “laughing” Research of laughter in animals may identify new molecules to alleviate depression, disorders of excessive exuberance such as mania and ADHD, or addictive urges and mood imbalances. [edit]Non-human primates Chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans show laughter-like vocalizations in response to physical contact, such as wrestling, play chasing, or tickling. This is documented in wild and captive chimpanzees. Chimpanzee laughter is not readily recognizable to humans as
