65 Different Species of Animals Laugh, Says a New Study:
Primatologist and UCLA anthropology graduate student Sasha Winkler and UCLA professor of communication Greg Bryant have taken a closer look at the phenomenon of laughter across the animal kingdom. The pair combed through the existing scientific literature on animal play behavior, looking for mentions of vocal play signals or what might be thought of as laughter. The researchers looked for information on whether the animal vocalizations were recorded as noisy or tonal, loud or quiet, high-pitched or low-pitched, short or long, a single call or known rhythmic pattern-seeking features of play sounds. Since what constitutes “play” in much of the animal kingdom is rough-and-tumble and can also resemble fighting, play sounds can help emphasize non-aggression during such physical moments, the article suggests. They found such vocal play behavior documented in at least 65 species. That list includes a variety of primates, domestic cows and dogs, foxes, seals, and mongooses, as well as three bird species, including parakeets and Australian magpies. The researchers wrote that paying attention to other species in this way sheds light on the form