CBS Sunday Morning

Is a kiss just a kiss? The art and science of smooching

With Valentine's Day around the corner, Susan Spencer asked: Is a kiss just a kiss? An evolutionary biologist says kissing is common in the animal kingdom and may date back 21 million years. A certified sex therapist explains why we kiss — and why some smooches linger in our memories for decades. Finally, a panel of editors at InStyle Magazine weigh in on the most iconic kisses in pop culture.

ABC News

Kissing happened prior to human existence

Stories have long been swapped on awkward first kisses and princesses smooching frogs, but a new study suggests the earliest instance of two lips pressing together happened up to 21 million years ago – prior to the existence of humans.

The study, which was published on Wednesday in the Journal of the Human Behavior and Evolution Society, found that the very first kiss likely occurred roughly 21.5 to 16.9 million years ago, before the first appearance of Homo sapiens 300,000 years ago.

CBS News

Pucker up: The history and evolutionary mystery of kissing

If you rang in the new year with a kiss, you took part in a tradition millions of years in the making. Scientists now say the origins of kissing go back much farther than most think. CBS News' Tina Kraus has more.

BBC News

Scientists trace the origin of kissing

Humans do it, monkeys do it, even polar bears do it. And now researchers have reconstructed the evolutionary origins of kissing.

3Sat Solo-Sex

Von Menschen und Tieren, die masturbieren

Sexual self-pleasure is not a privilege unique to humankind. Female chimpanzees masturbate with mango seeds. Parrots stimulate themselves with stuffed animals. Is this evolutionarily advantageous?

Clip only, follow link above for full documentary (German language)