Kissing's Origins Go Back 20M Years
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By
February 3, 2026
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3 min
A recent study led by Matilda Brindle from the University of Oxford traces the evolutionary origins of kissing to a common ancestor of large apes dating back between 21.5 and 16.9 million years ago. Using Bayesian phylogenetic modeling, researchers conclude that kissing likely occurred in Neanderthals with a high probability of 0.843. The definition of kissing was refined to exclude similar behaviors and was documented across multiple monkey and ape species using extensive literature reviews. The findings suggest kissing is an ancient and consistent trait among large apes.
1. Kissing likely evolved in large apes 21.5 to 16.9 million years ago.2. The study used Bayesian phylogenetic modeling to analyze kissing behavior.3. Kissing was defined to exclude behaviors like food transfer.4. Neanderthals had a high probability of engaging in kissing (0.843).5. Sparse and uneven data limited the study's conclusions on kissing across species.6. Kissing is a phylogenetically conserved trait among large apes.7. The study is supported by the European Research Council.8. Researchers noted cultural variation in humans regarding kissing.
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