A new study from the University of Oxford suggests that Neanderthals likely engaged in kissing, and may have even kissed modern humans. The research, published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior, explores the evolutionary origins of kissing and its potential role in interactions between species.
Dr Matilda Brindle, an evolutionary biologist and lead author, said that while various theories exist, the simplest explanation is that Neanderthals kissed. This aligns with previous findings that humans of non-African ancestry carry Neanderthal DNA, indicating interbreeding. 'It certainly puts a more romantic spin on human-Neanderthal relations,' Brindle added.
The team defined kissing as friendly mouth-to-mouth contact with movement but no food transfer, focusing on primates like bonobos, chimpanzees, and orangutans. Using YouTube videos and evolutionary data, they concluded that kissing evolved between 21.5 and 16.9 million years ago in the ancestors of great apes, making it likely Neanderthals also kissed.
Dr Jake Brooker of Durham University noted that kissing is not unique to humans, and Penny Spikins of the University of York highlighted its cultural aspects but stressed the importance of emotional bonds. 'It might be an image that seems a bit incongruous... but really it should be no surprise that Neanderthals – and even Neanderthals and our own species together – kissed,' Spikins said.
