Scientists have long known that non-human animals play, but a literature review published in the journal Bioacoustics this April found that laughter (called “play vocalization”) accompanies playtime in at least 65 species. Most of these chortling critters are mammals, but a few birds have been caught laughing too.
There could be even more laughing animals, says UCLA vice chair and professor of communication Greg Bryant, a co-author of the paper. Unlike us, most non-human animals laugh quietly — presumably to avoid attracting the attention of predators. This makes it tricky to study their laughter in the wild. Still, the data analyzed by Bryant and co-author Sasha Winkler, a doctoral candidate in biological anthropology, illuminate existing research and examine the range of play vocalizations across a variety of species.
The study sheds light on the evolution of human language as well. “Many mammals, most importantly the great apes and monkeys most ...
