Great apes (including us) have been giggling for 15 million years

Recent research suggests that laughter has been a part of our evolutionary history for at least 15 million years, potentially originating when megalodons roamed the oceans. This finding indicates that the roots of our humor and social bonding go back much further than previously thought, highlighting the deep connections between our primate relatives and ourselves. Understanding this evolutionary timeline helps us appreciate how laughter may have served as a survival mechanism, fostering group cohesion and social bonds, which are crucial for the success and survival of social species like great apes and humans.