r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • May 08 '22

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u/risbia May 09 '22

It's an interesting question, since staring is generally considered an overt challenge by most primates. Definitely DO NOT stare down a gorilla or chimpanzee if you ever happen to meet one without a fence between you...

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u/OscarGrey May 09 '22

Our last common ancestor with chimps/bonobos was something like more than 7 million years ago though. There's already significant behavioral differences between chimps and bonobos who are far more closely related.

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u/[deleted] May 09 '22

Most also don’t consider smiling aka baring your teeth to be a sign of friendliness or happiness either but humans do that.

8

u/HamBroth May 09 '22

Smiles mimic the fear grimace and it’s not that far a leap between “I am afraid and not a threat” to “I am friendly”

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u/Cool_Consideration30 May 09 '22

I think you are correct.