Kissing, for all popularity, is a bit of a mystery. Scientists have long debated when humans’ ancestors first put their lips together, and whether the act is simply a cultural trait. A new study ...

While kissing might feel like one of the most natural things in the world, this familiar behavior is quite mysterious—various animals also kiss, despite a lack of practical benefits and a real risk of ...

When we think of a kiss, we imagine a deeply human expression of affection, intimacy or emotional bonding. But what if kissing did not begin with us at all? What if the gesture we treat as cultural, ...

Stories have long been swapped on awkward first kisses and princesses smooching frogs, but a new study suggests the earliest instance of two lips pressing together happened up to 21 million years ago ...

Long before it became a familiar sign of romance or affection, kissing appears to have taken shape among the earliest ancestors of humans and other great apes. A new study led by the University of ...

Kissing may feel like a very human habit, but new research suggests it has much deeper roots. A team of scientists says the behavior likely began more than 20 million years ago, long before modern ...

Kissing is not universal today and only 46% of cultures practice it, say researchers THURSDAY, Nov. 20, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Kissing may feel like a very human habit, but new research suggests it ...