Anthropological studies suggest that kissing is an acceptable practice in up to 90 per cent of cultures. Photograph: iStock. In early human societies, it is believed mothers weaned their babies by chewing up their food and then passing it to their babies by lip-to-lip contact. Yes and no. Most other primates use kissing as a form of conflict resolution and bonding rather than foreplay to sexual intimacy. Bonobo apes — our closest genetic relatives — kiss both for comfort and to socialise. Some studies suggest that kissing allows a couple to get close enough to assess the scent of their kissing partner. Human scent is an indicator of our immune system involving genes known as the major histocompatibility complex MHC genes. The theory goes that people are attracted to a mate who has different MHC genes, who, if mated with, would potentially produce a baby with a more diverse immune system that is better able to fight disease.

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THERE’S A REASON YOU ALWAYS LEAN TO THE RIGHT DURING A KISS
Like, without expecting it to lead to something further? But smooching speaks a different sensibility than intercourse, explains Holly Richmond , PhD, psychologist and certified sex therapist. So, why not pucker up and get back to the basics? Try out these 12 types of kisses to prove that making out is le best for showing affection, communicating intimacy, and being hot AF foreplay. It can be a hello or a goodbye and communicates endearment—like, something you may do with a friend or family member when you're saying goodbye.
The evolutionary origins and physiology behind mouth to mouth kissing
It was a gorgeously lazy Sunday afternoon, and I felt cozy tucked into my friend Sara's Brooklyn Heights apartment. Sophie, a striking girl with shiny black hair, blue eyes the exact color of worn denim and dramatic alabaster skin, was lamenting to us that she can't seem to go out for a night on the town without salaciously locking lips on the dance floor with at least three different men. I will kiss him, but I will wretch. When I'm shagging, I can just shut my eyes and get on with it," confessed posh little Amanda, a petite, proper, private-school-educated year-old trust-fund child. What's more intimate, shagging or kissing? I was the lone American girl in this sea of English girls, but I've called London home in my early to mid 20s and was raised by a bonafide English mother. I've cultivated an English group of girlfriends in my hometown of New York, and I unabashedly adore English girls.
As a clinical sexologist, I am curious about how people act sexually. From time to time, I will ask random questions and then post the answers. How important is kissing to you? As many of us have already discovered, a good kiss can really turn us on, while a bad kiss can really turn us off.