What can be more infuriating than seeing the person with whom you are having an animated talk breaking into a long yawn? It is quite disheartening to note that people are bored to death with your talk. But things might not be as bad as they look. It might just be that his brain is trying to cool down, so that he can process your words more efficiently. Now, that was some information! Let us get more facts about yawning.
Why do we yawn?
Scientists have been trying real hard to find out the reason why we yawn. Though they haven’t arrived at one concrete decision, they have put forward several theories as to why we engage in this affair that sometimes causes embarrassment to us and those around us.
- The most popular theory suggests that yawning is a way to cool down an overheated brain. When the temperature of brain rises up, an intake of more air will help it to cool down.
- Yawning does occur when we are bored of the surroundings. According to some scientists, it is a way of the body signaling to itself to stay alert. With the intake of more oxygen, body springs back into a state of alertness.
- It is also suggested that yawning is used by the body to flex and relax the muscles. A good yawn is often accompanied by a stretching of several body parts such as arms, neck, and shoulders. So when the body feels like stretching a little, it lets out a yawn.
Why is yawning contagious?
One of the most important facts about yawning is that it is contagious. A person next to you starts a yawn, and you can hardly contain the urge to do it yourself. The reason behind this contagious nature of yawn may be more primitive than you think. Our ancestors battled the forces of nature, and lived in groups. They needed to stay alert to protect themselves from predators. If one in the group was exhausted, he yawned. This passed on to all others, signaling everyone to stay alert.
Do animals yawn?
Yes, they do. Yawning has been noticed in animals such as chimpanzees, baboons, macaques, cats, and dogs. But they do it for reasons entirely different from ours. Animal yawns maybe aimed at displaying anger or dominance, or for just scaring away the enemies by displaying all canines. Domesticated dogs have been found to catch the yawns of their masters. So next time you yawn, watch out whether your pet dog is catching up with you.
Yawn is a puzzling but highly contagious bodily function. Even the suggestion of a yawn can cause you to have one. How many times did you yawn while reading this?
If you wish to read more of such interesting pieces of information, please visit our Fascinating Facts section.
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