22.04.2014 change 22.04.2014

A horse can have a good laugh, too

Gorillas laugh, so do rats, and even penguins. For dogs, the sound of other dogs laughing is a stress relief. Most people cannot hear the animal laughter, because some of them laugh at frequencies imperceptible to our ears, expert explained in an interview with PAP.

"While some people think that animals do not have the ability to think abstractly or sense of humour, that some of these skills - such as the ability to plan - have already been proven. The situation is similar with laughter" - told PAP Katarzyna Zięba from the Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw.

Scientists have proven that man began to laugh even before he began to speak. Rats laugh, do do penguins and gorillas. We do not, however, usually hear their laughter. This is also because rodents communicate with each other at frequencies inaudible to the human ear.

"You can only do this with the use of appropriate equipment. An American researcher tried tickling rats while monitoring them with ultrasound detector. It turns out that rats laugh very often" - described the researcher. "It is believed that cats also make sounds at higher frequencies we do not hear. Some people say that they vocalize with each other almost all the time, and make audible sounds only when they want us to hear them" - said Zięba.

It is easiest for us to catch dog laughter, often heard a dog starts playing. "Dogs often perform a characteristic bow, putting front paws on the ground. This is often accompanied by specific dog laughter, which sounds a bit like panting" - says Zięba. A person who learns to make this noise, can "infect" his dog, which recognizes the sound and to joins in. Laughter can be infective not only for people but also animals.

Experiments have shown that dog laughter played through speakers in dog shelters reduced the amount of negative compulsive behaviour of these animals and decreased in their level of stress. "Not only do dogs have their own kind of laughter, specific laughter therapy works on them, too" - described the researcher.

Of course, animals will not laugh at abstract jokes, because their sense of humour is specific for their own species. Different species find different things funny. However, one of the most common play among animals is similar to tag. In most species, you can catch a laugh while they are playing. The fleeing animal laughs louder, because it wants to unload this way. It was during such play that researchers were able to catch laughter in some species.

Dog smile can be misleading. Sometimes dogs show their teeth in a grimace similar to smile that is not an incentive to play. "Aggressive smile is supposed to discourage us from approaching the animal, it is a demonstration of its fangs. During laughter resulting from good mood, all the facial muscles are relaxed" - said Zięba.

Adults can distinguish between dogs that show teeth while laughing and those that do that with anger. However, for children, the two situations are often interpreted in the same manner. Three researchers from the British University of Lincoln conducted a study in which they examined children between 4 and 6 years of age and adults. They were shown pictures of dogs smiling and grinning with rage. The survey questions were: "Are these animals happy? " and "What would you do with this animal?".

"As many as 62 percent of four-year-olds said that grinning dogs were smiling with happiness. These children, when they see a dog grinning, simply want to cuddle. This is why the most common bites in children are bites in the face" - explained the researcher.

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland

ekr/ agt/

tr. RL

Przed dodaniem komentarza prosimy o zapoznanie z Regulaminem forum serwisu Nauka w Polsce.

Copyright © Foundation PAP 2024