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Tue 9 Nov, 2004 06:08 am
Big testicles betray swinging ancestors
Mark Henderson, London
November 09, 2004
SCIENTISTS claim to have found the reason men's testicles are the size they are, and it is all to do with the infidelity of our female ancestors.
A study of the evolution of sperm has revealed the average human female does anything but stand by her man: like many other primates, she is not averse to promiscuity if she can get away with it.
Research by a team at the University of Chicago, led by Bruce Lahn, suggests men are more prone to straying than women, but the notion that human females long for nothing but a stable, monogamous relationship with Mr Right is wrong.
The study, published yesterday in the journal Nature Genetics, examined the evolution of male sperm among 12 species of primate, including humans. Sperm is useful for the investigation of a species' sexual practices in the distant past, as its characteristics are largely determined by mating patterns.
In promiscuous species, such as chimpanzees, competition for mating privileges does not end with sex: once inside a partner's body, sperm must often battle those of a rival to be the one that fertilises the egg. In order to maximise their chances of fatherhood, male chimpanzees have evolved huge testicles and sperm counts for their body size.
Among gorillas, however, females mate only with a dominant male, who collects a harem that will not entertain the idea of sex with a rival until he has beaten the alpha male in a fight. In this polygynous system, a male can be virtually certain that no one else has copulated with his partners -- and thus gorillas' testicles are tiny.
Human testicles are somewhere in between, suggesting that while women are nothing like as promiscuous as female chimps, nor are they as faithful as the female gorilla.......
Full story: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,11327919%255E601,00.html
Big or small, for purely practical reasons, I wish they'd evolved on the inside...
Well, just dating would have taught these 'scientists' the same lesson, once bitten, twice shy, twice bitten, you grow balls, but hey, it's grant money.
Only on A2K would you go from a conversation about quitting smoking to one discussing the size of gorilla testicles.
You'd never find that sort of conversational flow in a restaurant.
I wonder if Angie has started smoking yet?
I'm not sure. How big are gorilla testicles?
Hi Gus, fancy bumping into you here!
How are things in England today, Duke?
The queen still alive?
gustavratzenhofer wrote:Only on A2K would you go from a conversation about quitting smoking to one discussing the size of gorilla testicles.
You'd never find that sort of conversational flow in a restaurant.
I wonder if Angie has started smoking yet?
I'm not sure. How big are gorilla testicles?
Clearly you underestimate the company I dine with.
didn't the queen just get into some big hassle with madonna recently over there?
Yep, but Saturday night's all right for fightin'...I'm sure it will blow over eventually.
Bi-Polar Bear wrote:didn't the queen just get into some big hassle with madonna recently over there?
The Queen Mother and Madonna.....
chatting?. That would be a
rich converstion.
Could you think of two more obscure people to put in the same room together?
Maybe, Bear. I couldn't find anything at the BBC though. I'll keep an eye out.
Duke, were you offended by my query about the queen?
It was merely a test to see if the English value their leadership as much as we value ours.
If you had asked me, "President still alive?", I would have responded with "Unfortunately"
However, Duke, if I have said something which you consider offensive, I would like, at this time, to offer my sincerest apologies.
Nah, Gus. I wrote a feeble joke, then decided I didn't like it, so got rid. Nothing to do with your enquiry, my friend.
Alas, the Queen is only a nominal leader. Tony is our real leader, and we don't even get to vote for him.
Tony has eloquence going for him. I'm not sure what else.
A big grin? He's a good catholic boy as well. And ever-so sincere.
And here I thought I'd get away from the polical threads and read up on some hard science.
lol.
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