Recent studies have revealed that kissing likely evolved from behaviors in early primates and may date back approximately 21 million years. Scientists suggest that both Neanderthals and ancient ape ancestors engaged in kissing long before it became a human practice. This new research indicates that the first kiss may have occurred among these early primates, not humans, leading to a better understanding of the social behaviors that shaped our evolutionary history. Notably, kissing is now seen not as a solely human invention, but rather a legacy shared with our primate relatives.