Spinning apes give clues on why humans seek out mind-altering experiences, according to new research <\/p>
Most of us will remember wildly spinning around on the spot as children to experience a dizzy headrush.<\/p>\n
Or tightly winding ourselves up on a swing before letting it it untwist\u00a0at top speed, or enjoying the rapid rotations of a playground roundabout.<\/p>\n
As it turns out, our great ape cousins also deliberately seek out similar dizzy thrills, according to a new study published in the journal Primates.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n The study, by researchers from the University of Birmingham<\/a> and the\u00a0University of Warwick,\u00a0<\/a>could provide clues about the human desire for altered mental states.<\/p>\n To complete the study, the scientists analysed more than 40 videos of non-human great apes (gorillas<\/a>, bonobos<\/a>, chimpanzees and orangutans<\/a>) engaging in spinning behaviour on ropes and vines. They found that, on average, the primates revolved 5.5 times per spinning episode and attained an average speed of 1.5 revolutions per second.<\/p>\n The scientists also discovered that the apes could spin as fast as pirouetting ballet dancers or circus artists twirling in mid-air using aerial silks.<\/p>\n