We could all use something to smile about. Well, here’s some news that should brighten your day and get the week ahead off to a cheerier start: Scientists have discovered — despite what all the naysayers have said — that dolphins actually do smile.
Critics of this notion have argued that just because the mouths of dolphins turn up into what we primates would call a grin, it’s just the way they’re built. Like alligators. The back of their mouths also turns up, and nobody would call that any kind of laughing matter.
However, European researchers studying bottlenose dolphins in captivity say Flipper and friends open their mouths and do, indeed, smile at one another as a signal that they want to play-fight. When the other dolphin reciprocates, the festivities begin.
This behavior is also seen in primates — including humans. Smiling communicates friendliness and a lack of threat, and it’s contagious.
