There is no one explanation as to why humans kiss. A new study featured on MedicalXpress, however, reports that this courtship and mating rite may play a big role in who you choose to be your partner.
Researchers Rafael Wlodarski and Professor Robin Dunbar of Oxford University conducted an online survey with 900 adults and found that kissing is important in beginning and maintaining any romantic relationship. Kissing apparently helps people pick up certain biological cues such as taste and smell, which may unconsciously aid them in determining their ideal mate.
"Mate choice and courtship in humans is complex," says Dunbar. "It involves a series of periods of assessments where people ask themselves 'shall I carry on deeper into this relationship?' Initial attraction may include facial, body, and social cues. Then assessments become more and more intimate as we go deeper into the courtship stages, and this is where kissing comes in."
Once a relationship is cemented, kissing may also become a way to strengthen long-term relationships or as a gateway to sex and producing an offspring.
So whether you're in a new relationship or you’ve just celebrated your fifth anniversary, don't be afraid to pucker up. A few seconds of intimacy may strengthen your physical and emotional bonds more than you know.
(Photo by Cristiano Betta via Flickr Creative Commons)
