D Tuesday, January 12, 2010 News So, how do you make a gorilla stew? YOU keep him waiting for three hours. And if you told that joke in Africa, youd get more hearty laughs than in Asia. Naturalists have discovered orang-utans and other Asian apes laugh less than their African cousins, such as gorillas and chimps. And they also found that, while humans first learned to laugh from their ape ancestors millions of years ago, we have since learned to use laughter to sneer, mock and ridicule. Our observations showed strong differences in the use of laughter between the Asian great apes (orang-utans) and the African great apes (gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos), said Dr Marina Davila Ross, of the UKs University of Portsmouth. Asian great apes tend to squeak more than laugh, while African apes and humans laugh clearly more often. Evolution has enabled humans to use laughter to mock others while apes simply laugh to enjoy themselves and influence others, she concluded. But something happened in the last 5million years which means humans use laughter for a much wider range of situations. Dr Ross, who worked with the University of Veterinary Medicine in Germany, also showed sounds other than laughter can evolve in the context of tickling. Mammals, including flying foxes, make sounds when they are tickled but they are not necessarily laughing. Laughs: Naru the orang- utan is tickled by Dr RossJonathan Rhys Meyers with co-star John Travolta and Kasia Smutniak in action movie From Paris With Love, by Taken director Pierre Morel. The Irish actor plays a US embassy worker who teams up with Travoltas FBI agent, Charlie Wax, to try to stop a terrorist attack in the city. The film is out in March From the Tudors to Travolta Ronan, Farrell and Rea nominated for Ifta gong COLIN FARRELL, Saoirse Ronan, and Stephen Rea are among a host of Hollywood stars battling it out for a top Irish showbiz award. The big-screen celebrities have been invited to attend the 7th annual Irish Film and Television Awards (Iftas) next month, celebrating the best in home-grown talent, and have also been nominated for awards. Ifta chief Aine Moriarty said the shortlist reflected the ongoing variety and creativity in the industry despite the impact of the global economic re- cession. Its a tremendous line-up of strong, diverse Irish production... and the nominees showcase of work rein- forces the fact that Ireland has a su- perb resource of creative talent, de- spite the difficult Irish economic year and the knock-on effect to our crea- tive industries, Ms Moriarty said. The Academy is proud to give due recognition to home-grown Irish tal- ent for their creative achievements both at home and abroad. Farrell and Rea are competing for the leading actor category for their re- spective role in the films Ondine and Nothing Personal. The Tudors Jonathan Rhys Meyers will compete for the best actor in a television show against Gabriel Byrne for his hit show In Treatment, while Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan is hop- ing to clinch an award for her role in the taut thriller The Lovely Bones. Pat Kennys new show Frontline will also battle it out with Paul Wil- liams documentary on the Corrib Gas project, The Battle For The Gas- field, in the current affairs category. The gala ceremony at the Burling- ton Hotel will be broadcast on Febru- ary 20. By Colm Kelpie Colin Farrell: Lauded for his work in Irish fantasy Ondine Saoirse Ronan: Hoping to get the nod for her movie The Lovely Bones index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html