First
research to suggest scratching may have evolved as a communication tool to help
social cohesion
Date: September
11, 2017
Source: University
of Portsmouth
Summary:
Scratching
may have evolved as a communication tool to help social cohesion, new research
suggests for the first time.
Scratching
is more than an itch -- when it is sparked by stress, it appears to reduce
aggression from others and lessen the chance of conflict.
Scratching
can be a sign of stress in many primates, including humans.
Research
by Jamie Whitehouse from the University of Portsmouth, is the first to suggest
that these stress behaviours can be responded to by others, and that they might
have evolved as a communication tool to help social cohesion.
The
research, published in Scientific Reports, raises the question whether
human scratching and similar self-directed stress behaviours serve a similar
function.
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