Kissing Evolved To Spread Germs, Not Feelings

So, Should we encourge our kids to practice kissing with others? Kinda like we send our kids to play with children who have chicken pokes hoping they get it over and done with. I'm not really serious just making a funny comment.

Applying ANY teleology to evolution is against the rules people so why are you and these misguided and ill reasoning "scientists" still doing it?

More "evolutionary psychology" nonsense on the popsci plate? Or, are you guys laughing at this as much as I?

Kissing evolved? Already shaky ground. But, kissing evolved to spread germs? ROTFLMAO.

cytomegalovirus:
"Any of a group of herpes viruses of the genus Cytomegalovirus that cause enlargement and abnormal structures in the cell nucleus (known as nuclear inclusions) in infected cells. Although the virus usually causes minor or no symptoms in normal adults, it is a common cause of opportunistic infections in immunosuppressed patients and can cause life-threatening congenital infections."

This is new "kissing theory" is about as 'scientific' as the big boobs theory of evolution, or that rape is an evolutionary adaptation (Thornhill), or that popsci evolved so that some journalists could spread their Darwinian memes to attract easily impressed but dumb mates. It's all only for spreading genes after all, right?

To say this transfer by kissing evolved to spread this virus to fortify the immune system is like saying that AIDS evolved to spread good health.

And just think of those poor abandoned mothers who don't get any cytomegalovirus laden kisses after pregnancy!
Btw, cytomegalovirus is not sexist.

Thanks for the laughs anyway. ;-)

"chicken pokes"?

"cytomegalovirus is not sexist."?

It affects developing fetuses inside pregnant women...

Pregnancy is sexist!

Kissing evolved to spread virus? I'm not buying it. That really does not make much sense. Kissing is obviously a signal of many sorts to a potential mate. How about the virus evolved to take advantage of kissing as a vector. Now that I can go along with.

As far as germ-PREVENTION goes, research shows that there is a reduction in the spread of germs when you cough/sneeze into the crook of your elbow, thus a reduction in the incidence of colds/flus/H1N1. There is a reason the experts HHS and the CDC are recommending it. Once on the clothing in the elbow, the germs are less likely to spread everywhere else. If you have kids, there is a great program out called Germy Wormie that teaches them in a fun and entertaining way how to do this. Included is a great DVD that teaches them in a fun way the elbow cough, as well as other good hygiene habits.

I got a kick out of this. Especially the term "snogging".

I have to agree with Yeah Right. A bug that changes to match a vector (kissing) makes much more sense than a behavior changing for a bug (particularly a bug with so little consequence).

By the way, pregancy isn't sexist, it is the reason for there to be sexes in the first place. A woman who can't have children is just a dude without equipment. This is seen across the animal kingdom where post-breeding age matrons often take on masculine roles like herd protection, particularly in the abscence of males.

It's typical we're trying to find a reason for kissing although it likely sprang out of chaos like most everything else. People always look for patterns and causes when there truly is none - our brains are wired to seek the pattern. I recommend the book "Fooled by Randomness" to the authors of this study.

Vigier,

Well played!

lnwolf41 Okay, nice to know but the big question is how much goverment money went into this study about why humans kiss? do we really need to know in the first place?

Yes there are studies that conflict with the conclusion of this study. Studies of human pheromones show that females are sexually attracted to males with immune systems different from their own immune system. These pheromones are also found in the mouth of the male (and women too for all I know). So when a woman kisses a man, (or another woman), the woman is checking to see if the other person has a immune system different from her own, or she has misidentified which person in the room has a different immune system from her own immune system. Of the other person immune system matches that of the woman, she will lose her sexual interest in the other person and seek another person to kiss. The reason for picking a mate with a different immune system is to make sure that one of the mates are more likely to survive a pandemic to finished raising any surviving children. PS as to the issue of breast feeding after the death of a mother. A crying baby will trigger milk production in any woman taking care of the baby. A crying baby can also trigger milk production in most males if there is not a female around the breast feed the baby. Putting the baby up to suck on the nipple will speed the start of production of milk in both non birth females and males.

The best theory I've heard on kissing comes from the ages old way in which humans once weaned (tribal people such as Eskimos still do it) they're children. Starting a young child on a progression towards solid foods a mother would chew food and spit it into the child's mouth with a kiss like contact. Chewing less and less as the child ages till they begin to be able to do all the chewing on their own. by this time the kiss has become an affectionate bond between mother and child eventually in adulthood such a gesture would show comfort with and affection for a person of sexual interest. This makes complete sense and has pretty well been proven as much as is possible without witnessing it happen from ancient generations to today. Why they would study kissing still and suggest it would evolve over a virus that we had no understanding or knowledge of even well after kissing was established is beyond me. Personally it's obvious the virus evolved for the kissing not the other way and anyone who would suggest otherwise is not a scientist but a person suffering from some form of dementia.

This research really doesn't surprise me. ALL, yes ALL of our behaviors have a biochemical basis, even our sexual attraction to others. I do agree the viruses evolved to the kissing and not vice-versa, though.

i concur.Bacteria must have evolved through natural selection to be shared during our intense vaccuum warz

Laced:
I lived in a Yup'ik Eskimo village for 2 years, and saw many of the "old ways" still practiced- obviously many of them blended with modern technologies and western behaviors. I'm pretty sure that this behavior passes periodontal diseases to the children at a young age, and I sure would not consider that to be an advantageous behavior. I saw so many toothless young adults!

Again... there may be other things impacting the dental decay, such as the high sugar foods being introduced into the villages in the past generation, and the ubiquitous "iqmik" (chewing tobacco/punk ash blend)...

i concur.Bacteria must have evolved through natural selection to be shared during our intense vaccuum warz
www.medyumburak.com

Better kissing to bolster your immunities than the way other mammals greet each other!

Good Morning everyone, This webpage is excellent and so is how the subject was developped. I like some of the comments too though I would prefer we all stay on the suject in order add value to the subject. It will be also encouraging to the author if we all could mention it (for those who use social media such as a digg, twitter,..). Again, Thanks www.rupturedovariancyst.info

Good Morning everyone, This webpage is excellent and so is how the subject was developped. I like some of the comments too though I would prefer we all stay on the suject in order add value to the subject. It will be also encouraging to the author if we all could mention it (for those who use social media such as a digg, twitter,..). Again, Thanks www.rupturedovariancyst.info

Kissing evolved to spread virus? I'm not buying it. That really does not make much sense. Kissing is obviously a signal of many sorts to a potential mate. How about the virus evolved to take advantage of kissing as a vector. Now that I can go along with.
www.promdresspicture.com

Thanks for sharing the health information. I feel some of the diseases can be spread by such physical relationships. The only thing which can protect us from these diseases is relevant information.

www.biogetica.com

Il est normal que nous essayons de trouver une raison pour avoir embrassé, il est probable, bien que née dans le chaos comme la plupart des tout le reste. Les gens ont toujours des patrons et des causes où il n'y a vraiment aucun - nos cerveaux sont câblés en chercher le modèle. Je recommande le livre "Fooled by Randomness" les auteurs de cette étude.

www.AUTO-CRAZY.COM
www.AUTOEASY.ORG
www.autoexpressinfo.com
www.thaicarnews.com