Laughter is a physiological process and a fundamentally social phenomenon with physical, biological, psychological, philosophical and social dimensions. Laughter is ubiquitous among human populations but its evolutionary history has not been thoroughly examined. Although laugh-like play vocalizations have been reasonably well-established among chimpanzees, little is known about its existence in other species. It has been suggested from anecdotal reports on bonobos and gorillas, in addition to the handful of studies on chimpanzees, that play faces and play vocalizations are usually produced during rough and tumble social play and tickling. While there is a general consensus on the existence and characteristic features of great ape play faces, data on great ape play vocalizations and their relationship with play faces is scant. In addition, this limited evidence for laughter in great ape species does not extend beyond chimpanzees, and there has only been one other study conducted on orangutans thus far. This study tries to fill this void and investigates the existence of laughter in wild-born, ex-captive orangutans housed at the Orangutan Care Centre and Quarantine in Kalimantan, Central Borneo, Indonesia. Forty-one orangutan (24 males, 17 females) were tickled by familiar caregivers and their facial and vocal responses recorded. First, I analyzed the presence and frequency with which four play face variants co-occurred with vocalizations among the full sample. I then examined whether the reactions were influenced by sex, age, and time spent in rehabilitation. The analyses indicated that when tickled, orangutans exhibit play faces significantly more often than non-play faces and silent play faces more frequently than vocalized play faces. Sex, age, and time in rehabilitation did not affect these findings. Lastly, while some orangutans emitted vocalizations when exhibiting play faces, the rate at which the two behaviours co-occurred in the sample was lower than the level required to fulfill the definition of laughter used in this study. Therefore, the hypothesis that orangutans laugh could not be supported. Limitations of this study and future directions are discussed.

To uphold family honor and tradition, Sheetal Prasad is forced to forsake the man she loves and marry playboy millionaire Rakesh Dhanraj while the citizens of Raigun, India, watch in envy. On her wedding night, however, Sheetal quickly learns that the stranger she married is as cold as the marble floors of the Dhanraj mansion. Forced to smile at family members and cameras and pretend there's nothing wrong with her marriage, Sheetal begins to discover that the family she married into harbors secrets, lies and deceptions powerful enough to tear apart her world. With no one to rely on and no escape, Sheetal must ally with her husband in an attempt to protect her infant son from the tyranny of his family.sion.

Collective works on the orang-utan, from the broader evolutionary perspective to the details of what makes this animal not just unique among humanoids, but distinctive among primates in general.

Extraordinary photographs in color by award-winning photographer Cede Prudente reveal little-seen aspects of orangutan life in the rainforest and showcase the breathtaking landscapes of Borneo and Sumatra. Orangutans also includes a map of orangutan distribution and information on where to see orangutans in the wild."--BOOK JACKET.