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The Origin of Human Kissing Dates Back 21.5 Million Years, Ignobel Prizes Reveal

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • An Oxford-led study defines kissing broadly and traces its possible evolutionary origins to a great-ape ancestor about 21.5 million years ago.
  • Researchers found that humans and Neanderthals may have continued sharing oral microbes after their lineages diverged, suggesting they may have kissed.
  • Other Ig Nobel winners studied soil health using buried underwear and designed a urinal that reduced splashback to 1.4% of conventional levels.

This year’s Ig Nobel prizes range from the evolutionary origins of kissing to the question of what happens when underwear is buried in soil.

The biomechanics prize went to an Oxford University study that defines a kiss as “a non-aggressive interaction involving direct oral contact between members of the same species, accompanied by movement of the lips or surrounding area and without the exchange of food.” The researchers say the broad definition allows them to compare kissing-like behavior across species. It includes primates, polar bears, some birds and even ants, while excluding food exchange and aggressive mouth-to-mouth behavior.

a non-aggressive interaction involving direct oral contact between members of the same species, accompanied by movement of the lips or surrounding area and without the exchange of food

· Oxford University researchersThe study’s broad definition of kissing enables comparisons across animal species.

Under that definition, the history of human kissing may reach back about 21.5 million years to an ancestor of the great apes. Modern humans and Neanderthals split between 450,000 and 750,000 years ago, but their oral microbes separated into distinct strains only 110,000 to 140,000 years ago. The finding suggests that the two groups shared some microbes for a long period after diverging and may have kissed.

Study leader Matilda Brindle said the research revealed the evolutionary origins of kissing among primates and could prompt people to reconsider humanity’s place in the animal kingdom.

This research revealed the evolutionary origins of kissing among animals and primates, and we hope the award will encourage people to think differently about humanity’s place in the animal kingdom.

· Matilda BrindleThe study leader described the significance of the kissing research after receiving the prize.

Researchers at the University of Zurich won the soil science prize after burying 1,000 cotton pairs of underwear and tea bags with citizen scientists in more than 25 countries. After two months, underwear decomposed fastest in home gardens, which also had the highest organic content. Lawns had the fewest microbes, while farmland and grassland fell between them.

A University of Waterloo team won the physics prize for designing a urinal that reduces splashback to 1.4% of ordinary levels. Computer modeling found that a 30-degree impact angle worked best, inspired by the way dogs urinate. A prototype based on the curve of a nautilus shell produced no splashes in testing. Other winners included a study linking wealth with unethical behavior and a withdrawn Brazilian study on snake-biting patterns.

In one experiment, we placed a separate bowl of candy for children, and surprisingly, wealthy people took far more candy.

· Paul PiffThe social psychology researcher described evidence cited in the study of wealth and unethical behavior.
About this summary

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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