New study finds apes feel more optimistic after hearing laughter, indicates 'evolution of positive emotions'

New study finds apes feel more optimistic after hearing laughter, indicates 'evolution of positive emotions'

New study finds apes feel more optimistic after hearing laughter, indicates 'evolution of positive emotions' Laughter — closely tied to language and a sense of humor — has long been thought to be uniquely human. But in a new study out of Indiana University, researchers have discovered that bonobos, the closest living relative to human beings, along with chimpanzees, tend to be more optimistic after hearing similar vocalizations during play with their fellow apes. “We know that other apes, like chimpanzees, have contagious laughter during play,” said Dr. Sasha Winkler, a visiting research scholar in the Cognitive Science program at IU said in a statement  “We were wondering if that behavior could be explained by positive emotions produced from the sound itself.” The apes involved in the study are part of The Ape Initiative in Des Moines, Iowa, including Kanzi (above), a bonobo known for his ability to communicate using keyboard language symbols. The findings, which were recently publ…