Oct 10, 2009

Monkey Mamas Just as Silly as Human Mamas, Study Shows

In a study of monkey moms and newborns that may shed fresh light on the evolutionary underpinnings of mother-child bonding, National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers have discovered amazing similarities between how the Rhesus monkeys interact with their newborns compared to humans with theirs.

We all fawn, coo and buy them way too many bucket hats at babyGap.

Having observed more than a dozen mother-newborn macaque pairs during the first couple months of the infants’ lives, NIH scientists also documented long, fixed gazes, exaggerated facial expressions, and a lip-smacking touch that the scientists believe could indicate the evolutionary basis of what we know as a kiss.

Awwww.

Certainly preferable to the way crocodiles often interact with their babies: *CHOMP*  *CHOMP*  (Well, they need something to wash down the neighbor’s dog.)