Why do humans kiss each other when most animals don’t?

Why do humans kiss each other when most animals don't


When you think about it, Kissing is somewhat strange and little bit nasty. You share your saliva with someone else, probably for prolonged period.

Everyone surely remembers their first kiss, in all its somewhat embarrassing or delightful detail, and kissing plays a big role in romances between couples. One kiss could pass on 80 million bacteria, and not all the bacteria’s are good.

People in western society may thinks that romantic kissing is the universal and basic trait of human behavior. But the recent study suggests that about less than half of all cultures acutally do it, But kissing is also extremely rare in animal kingdom.

So what about this odd behavior ?  If it is useful then why animals don’t do it ?and all humans too ? It turns out many facts behind this that most animals don’t kiss explain why some do.

The study suggests the belief that romantic kissing is a universal human behavior:

Previous study estimates put the figure at 90%, The new study eliminated the parents kissing their children and focused only on the romantic lip-on-lip actions between the couples.

Many hunter-gatherer groups had showed no evidence of kissing or any wish to do like it. Some even thinks it revolting. The Mehinaku tribe in the Brazil reported it was “Gross”

The research overturns the belief that the romantic kssing is near-universal human behavior, As said lead author, William Jankowiak of the university in Las Vegas, seems instead it to be a product of the western societies, which passes from one generation to the other ones, He added.

Kissing is something we do naturally ?

Other kissing-type evidence comes from the Hindu Vedic Sanskrit texts from almost over 3,500 years ago, Kissing was explained as the inhaling power of each other”s soul. In contrast to that, Egyptian hieroglyphics picture people near and much close to each other rather than pressings their lips together.

 We can find some insight by looking at animals.

 Animals don’t Kiss at all !

Let’s see an example of Chimpanzees, For them Kissing is a form of reconciliation, It is more common among the male and female gender. It is not a romantic behavior, in other words you can say that.

A male and a female chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) looking deeply in each others eyes

Chimpanzees kiss and embrace after a fight (Credit: C.O. Mercial/Alamy)

Monkey’s cousins Bonobos kiss vary often, they can often use their tongues while doing so, This is not surprising at all, because they are highly sexual beings on earth. When two humans meet, they might shake hands, Bonobos have sex: which is called bonobos handshake, They also use sex for many kinds of bonding, so bonobos kissing is more often romantic and sexy !

Animals often release these pheromones in their urine

Male black widow spiders can smell when it's best to mate a female

Male black widow spiders can smell when it’s best to mate a female (Credit: Visuals Unlimited/NPL)

As you see from the female’s point of view this is a good thing, because males with the most androstonene are also the most fertile. The same process is true of many other mammals. For example, female hamstars emits a pheromones that made male very much excited, Mice also the same chemical traces.  Animals usually releases these pheromones in their urine. “Their urine is much more pungent. Said by researchers.


Elephants show affection using their trunks

Elephants show affection using their trunks (Credit: Laura Romin/Larry Dalton/Alamy)

In 2013, Wlodarski examines the kissing preferences. He asked several hundred people what was most important when kissing someone. How they smelled featured highly, and the importance of smell increased when women were most fertile.

This turns out men to make a version of the pheromone that the female boars finds attractive. It is present in male sweat, and when female are exposed to it , their arousal levels increases slightly.

A female can sniff out a good mate

A female can sniff out a good mate (Credit: Blickwinkel/alamy)

You could forego kissing and start smelling people instead

If you see the  overview, kissing is just a culturally acceptable trend to get close enough to another person to examines their pheromones.So if you want to find a perfect match, you could forego kissing and start smelling people instead. You’ll find them just as good a partner, and you won’t get half as many germs. Be prepared for some funny looks, though.. !!



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