Monkeys spin on ropes to feel dizziness, shows study [VIDEO]

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Researchers from University of Warwick and the University of Birmingham studied 40 videos of primates spinning on ropes or vines for no apparent purpose.

The speed of such a rotation was comparable to the speed of rotation of circus dancers and acrobats, and after the monkeys sat down or lay down: feeling dizzy… apparently.

Researchers believe that rotation is a simple way to change the state of consciousness, which is used by both humans and non-human primates.

Perhaps the ancient hominins did the same.

People have long resorted to various ways to achieve altered states of consciousness, mainly with the help of psychoactive substances.

Winemaking, most likely, arose about 10-11 thousand years ago, and the oldest evidence of cannabis use dates back to the ninth millennium BC.

However, it is not clear whether the ancient hominids tried to change consciousness, and whether this could somehow affect the evolution of the human mind.

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ALTERED CONSCIOUSNESS
Modern wild non-human primates sometimes eat tossed fruit, but there is no evidence that this is how they try to get drunk.

But there are other ways to see the world differently: for example, quickly, quickly circle.

Such entertainment is common among primates, including humans: we love carousels and rides, and children often spin in place until they drop.

Rapid rotation around the axis of one's own body or on a carousel temporarily disrupts the functioning of the vestibular apparatus in the inner ear.

Then the nerve signals coming to the brain from its receptors conflict with the signals coming from the eyes.

Dancers, figure skaters, circus performers, and astronauts train to not get dizzy when spinning at high speeds, and untrained people just have fun in an amusement park.

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THE STUDY
Now the UK researchers Adriano Lameira and Marcus Perlman found and analyzed videos of non-human higher primates spinning on ropes or vines, often to the point of dizziness.

Monkeys often have this kind of fun, and they do it alone, for no apparent reason or purpose.

The researchers compared the spinning speed of primates to that of ballet and hopak dancers, acrobats and Sufi dervishes who whirl in a ritual dance.

In the latter case, rotation is used just to achieve a special spiritual state.

They analyzed 40 videos of orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos spinning on ropes.

On average, the monkeys did 5.4 turns at a time, 3.3 times in a row.

The average rotation speed was 1.43 revolutions per second (rps), the highest sustained speed was 3.3 rps, and the fastest single revolution was 5 rps.

Orangutans rotated much faster than gorillas.

The monkeys generally twirled at the same speed as the dancers of the different styles.

When the monkeys rotated for a long time, they were more likely to let go of the rope (43 cases) and sometimes sit or lay down immediately (30 cases).

More rarely, the monkeys moved a short distance and lay down already there (7 cases), and even more rarely remained on their feet (6 cases).

Apparently, the monkeys spin on the ropes really to make them dizzy.

Scientists suggest that ancient hominids could also spin like this for fun and a change in state of mind; in any case, the anatomical and physiological features allowed them to do so.

Wanna try it too?

Sources:

• Primates: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10329-023-01056-x
• University of Warwick: https://warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/?newsItem=8a17841b86c5c0a30186df32d6142354
• ScienceAlert: https://www.sciencealert.com/apes-making-themselves-dizzy-could-show-how-we-evolved-the-urge-to-lose-control

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