In modern culture, kissing on the lips is an expression of affection. But why do we especially prefer the mouth and lips? Why instead of this one? our cheeks or ears Wouldn’t we have preferred rubbing against each other?

To comment on this, we have to go back a long way in human history. Both biologists like anthropologists He has some very surprising ideas on this subject.

Although kissing is common among humans, it is not universal and may be frowned upon in some cultures.

In 2013, when an announcement was made at the Kurtuluş metro station in Ankara: “Dear passengers, please act in accordance with the rules of morality”, couples gathered at the metro station and protested this situation by kissing.

About 10% of the world’s population is sick because they find it disgusting or for various reasons for superstitious reasons He doesn’t prefer kissing. For example, in some parts of Sudan the mouth is believed to be the gateway to the soul; Therefore, there is a superstition that kissing will lead to death.

In some Muslim-majority societies governed by religious laws, there are also restrictions on who can be kissed. There are taboos. In such countries, a man who kisses or touches a woman who is not his wife or relative may be flogged and imprisoned. Of course, this doesn’t mean that the majority of people in that country view kissing this way. A group in power may try to impose this idea on everyone.

Anthropologists and biologists have not yet come to a conclusion about whether kissing is a learned or instinctive behavior.

Studies on the science of kissing first began in the 19th century and include Cesare Lombroso, Ernest Crawley, Charles DarwinIt has been studied by modern scholars such as Edward Burnett Tylor and Elaine Hatfield.

Some scientists believe that many mammals first chew hard food to feed their young and then feed it to their babies. Word of mouth He defends the view that kissing is the cause.

It is therefore believed that kissing is instinctive and intuitive and results from behavior such as sucking or pre-chewing. The health of the kissing partner control their saliva It is also thought to be a behavior that evolved for this purpose. Some scientists claim that this is learned behavior.

The behavior of mothers feeding pre-chewed food to their babies is not unique to humans.

It is a behavior that also occurs in other animals. In addition to this action, kissing is also normal is not specific to humansNon-human primates have also been observed kissing. Dogs, cats, birds and other animals exhibit licking and nose touching behavior with each other, as well as towards humans or other species. Even snails and insects by touching their antennae They flirt. This behavior is interpreted by observers as a form of kissing.

The first written evidence of loving mouth-to-mouth kissing appears in Sanskrit writings written around 1500 BC.

These scriptures formed the basis of the religion of Hinduism. Later, kissing continued to appear in ancient Indian and Hindu literature. In the Mahabharata, a Sanskrit epic composed in the 4th century AD, someone “He put his mouth on my mouth and made a sound that gave me pleasure” There is text in it. There are also sections in the Kama Sutra that describe different methods of kissing and sex. ‘Kama’ means pleasure, ‘sutra’ means book.

Anthropologist Vaughn Bryant found that kissing began after Alexander the Great conquered the Punjab regions of northern India in 326 BC. Spread from India to Europe suggests. So while evolution has an effect, the widespread spread of kissing appears to have occurred in this region.

Although kissing may seem like a simple act, it activates a total of 34 facial muscles and 112 postural muscles.

The most important muscle in this action is the one used to purse the lips and “kissing muscle” It is also known as the “orbicularis oris” muscle. When French kissing, the number of working muscles increases because the tongue is involved in the action. There are also many nerve endings in the lips that are sensitive to touch and biting.

Kissing increases the production of feel-good hormones.

Creating the feeling of love oxytocinresponsible for the feeling of happiness endorphins and stimulates the pleasure center in the brain dopamine Regular kissing protects against depression.

love in general stress reducer It has effects. In an experiment examining kissing, it was found that the frequency of kissing in couples reduced stress and lowered cholesterol levels.

In summary; kiss a lot…