Origins of tickling?

[Scruffy_dreads]

Not the sexiest tickling news story in the world (unless you're into that kind of thing) but still of interest, I think...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104952197&ps=rs

An interesting point they kind of gloss over here is the fact that, not only do the apes laugh, but they seem to enjoy being tickled.

One must chuckle at the scientist's semi-serious proposal that we "get out there and start tickling the dogs, cats, pigs and rats..." Or maybe one must chuckle at one's own reaction of "Eww, gross..." when one remembers that, contrary to one's own associations, the scientist probably wasn't thinking of tickling in general as particularly erotic... one hopes.

 

[Deleted member 66627]

I'm not furry enough for this story.

 

[rhiannon]

According to the sig pic you have a tail though 😀

 

[milagros317]

Robert Provine (a Professor of Psychology specializing in neuroscience) has also done research in that area.

Link to one of his books:

http://www.amazon.com/Laughter-Scientific-Investigation-Robert-Provine/dp/0670893757

So the origins of tickling go back at least to the common ancestor of humans and the great apes.