Contagious yawning refers to the tendency of individuals to yawn after seeing, hearing, or even thinking about someone else yawning. About 40% to 60% of people exhibit contagious yawning when exposed ...

Here's a challenge: Try to read this whole page without yawning. Even reading the word yawn might be enough to set you off. But why do we yawn in the first place? And why do we 'catch' other peoples'?

Yawning seems like such a simple act, yet it holds surprising power over us. Just watching someone yawn — even a stranger — can suddenly trigger the irresistible urge to yawn yourself. Why does this ...

Let's start at the beginning. Who yawns? Everybody. Not just people, but cats, dogs and fish do, too! What is a yawn? It is an involuntary action during which you open your mouth and breathe deeply ...

Rachael has a degree in Zoology from the University of Southampton, and specializes in animal behavior, evolution, palaeontology, and the environment. Rachael has a degree in Zoology from the ...

Seeing or hearing someone yawn can make you yawn. This phenomenon is not limited to humans; some animals experience contagious yawning, too. But why is yawning contagious? Brain cells called mirror ...