“Beastly good mood”: biologist talks about humor in animals – Ebersberg

What is the similarity between humans and animals when it comes to humor? What new research results are there? Ursula Kunz from Hohenlinden has dealt intensively with this question. She is a biologist, anthropologist, conservationist and responsible for environmental education at the Ebersberg Forest Museum. And what she found out about the parallels in “cheerfulness-behaviour” behavior can now be experienced in a VHS lecture.

SZ: Ms. Kunz, your new lecture is called “In a good mood”. How did you come up with this beautiful topic?

Ursula Kunz: Well, the semester focus of the Ebersberger VHS is “Human – Animal – Environment”, and I was asked if I didn’t want to contribute an event. But in view of the current catastrophes, I had no desire to deal with all these serious issues such as the ecological and biodiversity crisis, sustainability or animal welfare. It’s all so depressing.

So you suggested a positive topic?

No, I actually thought of canceling – with the flippant note that I would only offer something cheering up, like the topic of laughter research, if anything at all. But then the answer came promptly from the VHS: “Yes, of course, wonderful!”

Are you an expert in the field of behavioral research?

No, you can’t say it like that. Although I wrote my diploma thesis at the Max Planck Institute for Behavioral Physiology in Seewiesen, after my studies I never worked in research, but always in education. Of course, I have seen many animals up close, but these are more of a one-off observation, not a scientific one.

For example?

Well, I didn’t know for a long time, for example, that rabbits aren’t always quiet. I had a very tame one that used to follow me in the garden. So I bought a leash to take him for a walk. But when I wanted to put it on it, it screamed pitifully. The leash was gone again very quickly. Or my parents’ budgerigars, they did the greatest things, you could really talk to them. And even the bats that I keep taking care of are distinct individuals in their behavior.

But now the topic of animal behavior has also interested you from a scientific point of view?

Yes, actually for a long time, and the lecture was a good reason to finally deal with it intensively again. I sat down, researched all over the place and really found a lot of material.

And what is your conclusion?

As it says in the VHS booklet: Animals use tools, solve problems and are capable of many more behaviors and emotions than Konrad Lorenz, founder of comparative behavioral research, would have believed them capable of. You can mourn, dream and have fun. And what biological and anthropological research has revealed about laughter, joy and humor sheds a new light on the difference between Homo sapiens and some animals.

That means? Are animals more like us than we thought? Do they actually have a sense of humor?

Well, I would like to leave that open, because the answer is definitely a matter of interpretation. I present the current state of research and give examples. Everyone should be able to form their own opinion.

What animal species are you using to illustrate this?

Of course, quite classically, the great apes. Elke Zimmermann has done a lot of research in this area, for example with tickling experiments. What I find particularly exciting here is that she and her colleagues have created a kind of laughter family tree based on the recorded sound patterns – which completely corresponds to the genetic family tree of monkeys and humans. This means that the bonobo or pygmy chimpanzee with which we have the greatest genetic similarities is also the one who is most likely to laugh like us.

That great apes are similar to us is not so surprising. What species do you still have in your repertoire?

Rats, for example, because it has now been proven at the Humboldt University in Berlin that these rodents are also ticklish. Especially young animals curl up properly. They also respond to being tickled with a kind of giggling sound, an ultrasonic chirping sound that they also emit when playing. By chance I also discovered Raoul Schwing from Vienna, who researches the playing behavior of keas. These New Zealand parrots are highly intelligent, curious and adventurous – and they are not mammals. They also show a form of laughter, namely as a lure call that encourages other species to play. That means: the laughter of the parrots is contagious – just like ours.

Open detailed view

They show numerous parallels between humans and animals. Ultimately, isn’t this also accompanied by the hope of influencing the behavior of our species for the better? So contributing to animal welfare?

Yes of course. Even if I feel more comfortable in practical species protection than in motivational lectures, this is a matter of great concern to me. When I think about it, especially with a look at the monkeys, how cruel humans are, it hurts me deeply. In addition, these animal relatives contribute significantly to the fact that we understand ourselves better. For that reason alone they must not disappear.

“In a good mood – the similarities between humans and animals”, lecture by Ursula Kunz, on Monday, November 7, 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m., Adult Education Center building at Griesstraße 27 in Grafing. registration on-line or on (08092) 819 50.