What’s the biological purpose of humor?

Question

What is your body doing when your laughing and what is the purpose of it biologically? Do animals have an equivalent?

In: Biology

Answer 1

I don’t know if there’s a biological purpose, but it certainly has a social purpose, namely building solidarity and defining communities (in- and out-groups). Laughing with someone brings you closer to them, and laughing at someone can be a powerful way to define community norms and boundaries.