In videos that have gone viral on social media, we have often seen that great ape species such as gorilla and chimpanzee start to spin around on their own. Well, have you ever thought about why these animals behave like this? A study published yesterday in the journal Primates answers that question.
Scientists analyzed videos of monkeys spinning around to find the reason behind this behavior. As a result of the investigations, it was revealed that these species exhibited such behavior on purpose. It was also noted that the reason behind their self-rotation was similar to humans.
Monkeys spin around to get their heads up
Examining 40 videos that are very popular on YouTube, researchers discovered that great ape species exhibit such behavior to get their heads up. In the videos, the monkeys were seen spinning more than once per second, for a total of 709 times. It was stated that this behavior was exhibited because it most likely caused effects such as dizziness, stupor, and feelings of joy.
It was stated that due to the similar inner ear anatomy and similar body sizes between great apes and humans, rotation can cause changes in mental state in monkeys, just as it does in humans. This again highlights the interestingness of deliberately exhibiting this behavior.
The team also noted that they found similar rotational movements in species such as the gibbon, as well as great apes such as the gorilla, chimpanzee and orangutan.
Research may shed light on why people have been trying to get high for centuries
As we all know, people have used different ways to get high for thousands of years. Some studies even showed that hemp was used 2700 years ago. The fact that the use of drugs and alcohol is still so high is the best example of this. The new research is also important because of the possibility of shedding light on the evolutionary history of getting high, as great apes are considered humans’ closest relatives.
There were many images and information about monkeys getting drunk by consuming alcohol-filled fruits. However, it was not known for certain whether they did this because it was high in calories or to get drunk. The new study shows that they may intentionally want to get their heads up.
In addition, co-author Adriano Lameria said of the importance of the study: “What I want to understand through this study is to determine whether turning can be considered a primitive behavior that human ancestors used to enter different states of mind.”
The origins of the desire to change the state of mind in humans are still not fully resolved. While it was said that this behavior may have shaped the evolution of modern humans, it was estimated that it may have been effective in matters such as mental development, mood and psychological state. The new study also revealed that more research is needed on the origins of this condition and its effects on humans over the years.
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