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To: alexander_busek

Interesting question. And you would think the answer would be yes, but I don’t have any specific info. Good second point re pre-chewing conferring immunity. Same mechanism.


11 posted on 10/31/2009 9:34:57 AM PDT by Dysart
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To: Dysart
Good second point re pre-chewing conferring immunity.

I wasn't saying anything about the exchange of premasticated food (or saliva) possibly conferring immunity. I'm saying simply that kissing is entirely explainable without recourse to immunity-based arguments (Occam's Razor). Perhaps, instead, it is derived from the practice, in prehistoric times, of people pre-chewing and directly transferring food to toothless tribe members (babies, oldsters) in order to nourish them (not to confer immunity, which the oldsters .- being oldsters - would have anyway, and which the babies - being breast-fed babies - would likewise have anyway).

Rather, transferring (often tough) premasticated food in this fashion (mouth-to-mouth) was probably commonplace, at least among intimate family members. It was probably pleasurable for both babies and mothers. In these tribes, kissing among adults was thus perhaps a "hold-over" or a "throw-back" to a behavior learnt in their childhood years. (However, it may be that, in primitive societies, kissing was much less prevalent than in modern societies.)

Regards,

12 posted on 10/31/2009 10:14:03 AM PDT by alexander_busek
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To: Dysart

Birds do it, bees do it, even monkeys in the trees do it.

Let’s do it. Let’s re-masticate then regorge our young’s food.

(oh, it sounds so romantic that way).


13 posted on 10/31/2009 5:59:00 PM PDT by UCANSEE2
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