We
all know that this past Thursday was Valentine’s Day, and many of you
may still be cashing in this weekend, trying to steal a smooch from your
sweetie. Have you ever wondered why kissing is seen as a sign of
affection? What is it about pressing your lips against the lips of
someone else that is so desirable? Romantic kissing has been documented
as far back as 4,000 years in human history, though not all human cultures kiss. Other Great Apes also kiss to express joy. But, were did it come from?
Some scientists believe that kissing is a learned behavior, stemming
from mothers who would chew food up and feed it to their young. This
mouth-to-mouth contact was associated with pleasant feelings, which may
have led to its persistence in our species. Others speculate that even
nursing could have been enough to stimulate the lips and create that
linkage. Our lips are also uniquely suited for kissing, as they are much
more sensitive than other animals, and pucker outwards to make kissing
easier.
Additionally, the proximity of kissing brings
pheromones into play. Females typically prefer scents dissimilar to
their own, indicating genetic diversity, which is advantageous for the
offspring. Females are also more sensitive to oral health, and are much
more likely to refuse a partner based on bad breath, as it is an
indicator of the male’s overall health.
Kissing also releases
dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for happy feelings, to the same
center of the brain that is most affected by highly addictive drugs,
such as heroin and cocaine. This explains why people can get lovesick,
and have feelings of withdrawals when his or her mate is missing.
For more information: http://news.discovery.com/
http://discovermagazine.com/
Photo credit: eHarmony.com
We
all know that this past Thursday was Valentine’s Day, and many of you
may still be cashing in this weekend, trying to steal a smooch from your
sweetie. Have you ever wondered why kissing is seen as a sign of
affection? What is it about pressing your lips against the lips of
someone else that is so desirable? Romantic kissing has been documented
as far back as 4,000 years in human history, though not all human cultures kiss. Other Great Apes also kiss to express joy. But, were did it come from?
Some scientists believe that kissing is a learned behavior, stemming from mothers who would chew food up and feed it to their young. This mouth-to-mouth contact was associated with pleasant feelings, which may have led to its persistence in our species. Others speculate that even nursing could have been enough to stimulate the lips and create that linkage. Our lips are also uniquely suited for kissing, as they are much more sensitive than other animals, and pucker outwards to make kissing easier.
Additionally, the proximity of kissing brings pheromones into play. Females typically prefer scents dissimilar to their own, indicating genetic diversity, which is advantageous for the offspring. Females are also more sensitive to oral health, and are much more likely to refuse a partner based on bad breath, as it is an indicator of the male’s overall health.
Kissing also releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for happy feelings, to the same center of the brain that is most affected by highly addictive drugs, such as heroin and cocaine. This explains why people can get lovesick, and have feelings of withdrawals when his or her mate is missing.
For more information: http://news.discovery.com/
http://discovermagazine.com/
Photo credit: eHarmony.com
Some scientists believe that kissing is a learned behavior, stemming from mothers who would chew food up and feed it to their young. This mouth-to-mouth contact was associated with pleasant feelings, which may have led to its persistence in our species. Others speculate that even nursing could have been enough to stimulate the lips and create that linkage. Our lips are also uniquely suited for kissing, as they are much more sensitive than other animals, and pucker outwards to make kissing easier.
Additionally, the proximity of kissing brings pheromones into play. Females typically prefer scents dissimilar to their own, indicating genetic diversity, which is advantageous for the offspring. Females are also more sensitive to oral health, and are much more likely to refuse a partner based on bad breath, as it is an indicator of the male’s overall health.
Kissing also releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for happy feelings, to the same center of the brain that is most affected by highly addictive drugs, such as heroin and cocaine. This explains why people can get lovesick, and have feelings of withdrawals when his or her mate is missing.
For more information: http://news.discovery.com/
http://discovermagazine.com/
Photo credit: eHarmony.com
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