Happy World Smile Day! Did you know that today is dedicated to smiles and kind acts throughout the world? Smiling is a universal sign of affection instinctive to us all. But have you ever wondered where our grins come from?
Cheeky monkey
Smiling may have originated from the bared teeth expression made by monkeys when frightened. But in higher primates, teeth bearing is often a sign of submission and non-hostility from a subordinate member of a group towards a dominant member.
Grey-footed chacma baboon showing submissive behaviour
From signalling non-hostility and appeasement, teeth bearing is thought to have developed into showing affection and affiliation between equals.
Adult chimpanzee baring teeth
Laughter is the best medicine
It’s also likely that our laughter evolved from another primate expression: the ‘play face’. This facial expression can be seen during playful encounters. For instance, a flash of teeth reassures a gorilla’s playmate that they do not intend to harm them. This appears to be a foundation of human laughter.
Young chimpanzee showing prototypical 'play face'
It’s easy to imagine that all animals smile and show happiness just like us. Today, they can! For when you’re smiling, the whole (natural) world smiles with you…
Wish everyday to be smile day for ARKIVE!!
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