alan_m wrote
whisky-dave wrote

Why would they slap a baby on teh bum in order to make it cry if it
didn't feel pain ?

Why do babies cry at all?

To indicate that they need something done
that the can't do for themselves, like be fed etc.

And has it only started happening since they were slapped on the bottom?

Nope.

In the past a crying baby would have identified to a predator an easy meal
(of both the baby and its companions)

Doesnt explain why all mammal babys do cry etc when
they need something like food or just miss their mum etc.

Presumably they evolved like that because they are
much more likely to do if they just do nothing and
hope the food or mum etc will show up sometime.