LONGER YAWNS = BIGGER BRAINS

We yawn about 5 to 10 times per day. More if you watch CSPAN or CBS prime time. But humans are not the only creatures who yawn. Many vertebrates yawn – even birds – and biologists have now learned that yawning is linked to brain size: the bigger the brain, the longer the yawn. Despite popular belief, yawning does not function to oxygenate our blood. Instead, they say, yawning cools the brain. The temperature of the brain drops rapidly after yawning, and the ambient temperature determines how often yawning occurs. In a joint study by biologists at Utrecht University in the Netherlands and New York Polytechnic Institute, they filmed more than 1,250 yawns from 55 mammal species and 46 bird species. They conclude that, independent of body size, the duration of yawning across species increases with the size and number of neurons in the brain of a given species.
* Yes, but the smaller the animal, the cuter the yawn. Ever seen a guinea pig yawn? Absolutely adorable.
* Your kid’s tuition dollars at work, parents.
* Never mind the temperature. The bigger the brain, the more easily you get bored, so you yawn more.
* Hummingbirds? Never yawn. Everything’s going so fast, they have to keep paying attention.
* “Hi, we’d like hang out at your zoo and record animals yawning.” They just wanted to avoid paying the admission fee.
* Link yawning to penis size and you guys might have something the world is interested in.