Great Apes Used Reassuring Touch 6 Million Years Before Humans Evolved

New research shows that great apes — including chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans — use friendly touching such as hugging, patting and hand contact to de-escalate tension and prevent fights, a behaviour rooted at least six million years before modern humans emerged. The study identifies reassuring touch as one of the most ancient social tools among primates, predating human evolution by millions of years. The findings suggest that physical gestures of comfort and reconciliation have deep evolutionary roots shared across the great ape family.

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