A study with bonobos, chimpanzees, orangutans and gorillas shows that they share with humans the ability to mock

A recent study has found that great apes, like humans, have the ability to joke and mock. This research is based on the observation of interactions within groups of bonobos, chimpanzees, orangutans and gorillas, in which younger individuals showed mocking behavior towards adults. The results, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, suggest that these humorous behaviors existed 13 million years ago, when the hominid lineages diverged, indicating a possible evolutionary function of mockery. The researchers plan to extend the study to a larger number of animals to further explore the evolution of humor in different species.