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BrotherBrutha t1_j2y5nk1 wrote

From what I understood (could be very wrong!), if a chimp is bearing their teeth like that, it’s probably time to run away rather than sit around and have a bit of a giggle with them ;)

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[deleted] OP t1_j2yaaim wrote

if the mouth is open, probably

but if they smile with their teeth together then it is typically a non-aggressive sign of submission, usually in response to fear or stress. it's not typically a "happy" face for chimps.

humans are known to smile when they are nervous as well which can be confusing but probably a leftover trait from our ape ancestors

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