Recordings of laughter from humans and other great apes suggest that the distinctive rhythm of "ha ha ha" emerged in a common ancestor that lived at least 15 million years ago.

A study of 140 laughter sequences found the same rhythmic timing pattern in humans, chimps, gorillas, bonobos and orangutans.

The rhythmic patterns of laughter found in apes and humans reveal that complex primate vocal control might have started evolving 15 million years ago.