Early humans wanting to bond had a laugh

Laughter was the glue that allowed our ancient human ancestors to live peacefully in large groups, providing the basis for civilisations to emerge, a study has suggested.

Researchers at the University of Oxford found that as primates began to gather in greater and greater numbers, there was no time for the grooming they had previously used to ensure cohesion. The study suggested that early human tribes lived in groups of about 154 and communal laughter emerged to create the endorphin rush that bonds communities.

The study was published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society.