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Judi Lynn

(160,530 posts)
Mon Feb 5, 2024, 05:21 AM Feb 5

A major UCLA study says that at least 65 species of animals laugh

If you've never seen a fox giggle, you're in for a treat.
Annie Reneau Upworthy Staf f02.02.24



SaveAFox/YouTube
Foxes giggle like children on helium.

Laughter is one of the most natural impulses in humans. Most babies start to laugh out loud at around 3 to 4 months, far earlier than they are able to speak or walk. Expressing enjoyment or delight comes naturally to us, but we're not the only creatures who communicate with giggles.

Researchers at UCLA have identified 65 species of animals who make "play vocalizations," or what we would consider laughter. Some of those vocalizations were already well documented—we've known for a while that apes and rats laugh—but others may come as a surprise. Along with a long list of primate species, domestic cows and dogs, foxes, seals, mongooses and three bird species are prone to laughter as well. (Many bird species can mimic human laughter, but that's not the same as making their own play vocalizations.)

Primatologist and UCLA anthropology graduate student Sasha Winkler and UCLA professor of communication Greg Bryant shared their findings in an article in the journal Bioacoustics.

The authors explored various play vocalization sounds, recording them as noisy or tonal, loud or quiet, high- or low-pitched, short or long, a single call or rhythmic pattern.

But really, what we want to see is what animal laughter sounds like from various species, right? While the researchers said that it can be hard to document laughter in the wild, especially among animals with quieter vocalizations, we do have some examples captured on video.

Check out these foxes laughing like little kids:




Or maybe little kids on helium. How fun is that?

Ever seen a bonobo chimp laugh? Just as cute.

More:
https://www.upworthy.com/new-study-65-species-animal-laughter-rp5





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A major UCLA study says that at least 65 species of animals laugh (Original Post) Judi Lynn Feb 5 OP
KNR for this fzbulous post. niyad Feb 5 #1
Love it 😍 Thanks for this post. n/t iluvtennis Feb 5 #2
Delightful! hlthe2b Feb 5 #3
Further research indicated ALL of those species laugh at Trump. nt oldsoftie Feb 5 #4
well, i know i have no use for a man who doesnt laugh at my jokes. mopinko Feb 5 #5
How many just smirk ? eppur_se_muova Feb 5 #6
I had a cat that would giggle when I rubbed his belly. Sounded a lot like those foxes. Merlot Feb 5 #7
Drumpf is not one of the 65 species flying-skeleton Feb 5 #8
I just KNEW they were laughing at us! Ziggysmom Feb 7 #9

mopinko

(70,103 posts)
5. well, i know i have no use for a man who doesnt laugh at my jokes.
Mon Feb 5, 2024, 12:05 PM
Feb 5

big part of how my marriage lasted for 30 yrs is that we were very funny together.

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