The Ancient Roots of Humor: How Great Apes Reveal the Origins of Teasing
A Shared Sense of Humor
Picture this: a young orangutan offers a piece of bark to her mother, only to pull it back at the last moment. Her mother, not to be outdone, picks up the bark and repeats the trick, flipping the game into a reciprocal exchange. This playful interaction might not seem groundbreaking, but it echoes behaviors seen in human toddlers—and it raises profound questions about the evolutionary roots of humor and teasing.
A recent study published in Proceedings. Biological Sciences1 dives into the playful teasing behaviors observed in great apes. Researchers systematically analyzed social interactions among orangutans, chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas, uncovering intriguing parallels between their behaviors and human humor.
“Playful teasing provides a relatively low-risk environment to develop and refine social skills,” says lead author Isabelle Laumer of the University of California, San Diego.
The findings suggest that teasing is not just a human trait but a deeply ingrained behavior that could date back millions of years.
What Is Playful Teasing?
Teasing exists in a fascinating gray area between play and provocation. It involves actions meant to elicit a response, often with an element of surprise or boundary-testing. Among great apes, teasing often includes poking, pulling, or blocking another’s actions in a manner that’s impossible to ignore but rarely escalates into aggression.
For instance, a juvenile chimpanzee named Azibo was observed repeatedly smacking his mother on the back and retreating to a safe distance. His mother responded with half-hearted swats, tolerating the playful provocation. This kind of teasing, characterized by provoke-and-retreat patterns, is distinct from symmetrical play like chasing or wrestling.
Characteristics of Teasing
The study identified five key traits of playful teasing in great apes:
Provocation: Actions that are hard for the target to ignore, such as poking or blocking.
One-Sided Interaction: The teaser drives the interaction, while the target often reacts passively.
Surprise Elements: Actions like sneaking up on a target or escalating the provocation.
Eye Contact: The teaser monitors the target’s reaction, gauging the effectiveness of the tease.
Repetition and Elaboration: Teasers build on their actions, increasing complexity to maintain engagement.
Why Do Apes Tease?
Teasing behaviors likely serve a dual purpose: they entertain and build social bonds while honing cognitive skills. Teasers must anticipate how their actions will be received, a practice that requires understanding the emotions, intentions, and perspectives of others.
“Teasing provides a way to test relationships and explore social boundaries,” says co-author Sasha Winkler.
This mirrors how humans use teasing to strengthen friendships or gauge social dynamics.
In both apes and humans, teasing behaviors often begin in youth, a stage characterized by curiosity and a drive to learn social norms. Apes, much like human toddlers, seem to revel in creating moments of unexpected surprise, testing their understanding of others’ reactions.
A Cross-Species Phenomenon
All four great ape species displayed teasing behaviors despite their vastly different social structures. Orangutans, typically solitary, teased in more isolated contexts, while the highly social bonobos and chimpanzees incorporated teasing into group interactions. Gorillas, living in tightly knit family units, also engaged in teasing, often between juveniles and adults.
One notable interaction involved a juvenile orangutan teasing a peer by repeatedly grabbing their foot and retreating. In another instance, an adult gorilla playfully blocked a youngster’s attempts to use a tool, seemingly just for the fun of it.
The Evolution of Humor
The presence of teasing across all great ape species suggests that the roots of humor may stretch back at least 13 million years, to the last common ancestor of modern apes and humans. This challenges the long-held assumption that humor is a uniquely human trait tied to our advanced cognitive abilities.
“Humor likely emerged as a byproduct of our intense sociality,” explains co-author Federico Rossano. “Playful teasing offers a safe space to experiment with social norms and develop an understanding of others’ minds.”
The study’s findings align with observations of similar behaviors in other social animals, such as dolphins and elephants, suggesting that teasing might be an evolutionary tool for navigating complex social landscapes.
Implications for Social Intelligence
Teasing behaviors shed light on the development of social cognition, the ability to understand and predict others’ mental states. This capability underpins human language, culture, and cooperation, making its origins a key focus for evolutionary anthropologists.
Through teasing, apes demonstrate an ability to engage in "mental play," shifting from purely physical interactions to more cognitively demanding activities. This progression may have set the stage for the emergence of humor, storytelling, and even cultural traditions in early humans.
The First Joke: A Shared Heritage
The next time a toddler offers a toy only to pull it away with a giggle, consider that this simple act may echo behaviors shared with orangutans and chimpanzees. The origins of humor and teasing likely predate humanity, rooted in the playful interactions of our common ancestors.
While great apes won’t be headlining comedy clubs anytime soon, their playful antics remind us that the joy of teasing—and the social connections it fosters—is a thread woven through millions of years of evolution.
Related Research
Rossano, F., & Liebal, K. (2014). Evidence for a sense of humor in non-human primates. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 37(6), 557-558. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X14000916
Matsusaka, T. (2004). Play and teasing in captive gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). Primates, 45(4), 221-229. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-004-0089-y
Reddy, V. (2008). How Infants Know Minds. Harvard University Press. https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674026455
Laumer, I. B., Winkler, S. L., Rossano, F., & Cartmill, E. A. (2024). Spontaneous playful teasing in four great ape species. Proceedings. Biological Sciences, 291(2016). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.2345