Apes who dance themselves dizzy

GORILLAS, chimpanzees and orangutans have been spotted by scientists spinning themselves into trances.

The primates matched speeds achieved by professional dancers and whirling Dervishes – suggesting they were trying to reach an ‘altered mental state’.

Experts at the universities of Birmingham and Warwick analysed 40 online videos and found that our near relatives typically completed 5.5 spin circles three times in a row.

‘The parallel between what the apes were doing and what humans do was beyond coincidental,’ said Dr Adriano Lameira, who co-led the study.

The primates appeared to keep spinning deliberately despite being dizzy and unable to keep their balance.

The researchers said it might be that spinning was a primordial behaviour that human ancestors used to tap into other states of consciousness.

The results of the study were published in the journal Primates.