Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

New Study On Nipple Size Dicredits Previous Assumptions About Evolution

New Study On Nipple Size Dicredits Previous Assumptions About Evolution
(Movieclips/YouTube)

Don't underestimate the importance of the oft-scorned nipple. They are teaching us something interesting about human evolution.

Evolutionary biologists believe that functional parts of the body – like the ear, nose, or brain stems – have low variation from person to person regardless of different shapes and sizes. Nipples, however, are considered high variation. 


Back in 2008, Dr. Kim Wallen led a study published in the journal Evolution & Development and wrote:

Evolutionary researchers have sometimes taken findings of low variation in the size or shape of a biological feature to indicate that it is functional and under strong evolutionary selection, and have assumed that high variation implies weak or absent selection and therefore lack of function.

Australian researchers stated that "Male nipples are regarded as a prototypical evolutionary by-product, a non-functional version of the functional female nipple."

In simpler terms, the major difference between genders is that female nipples serve a biological purpose: breastfeeding. Male nipples do not.

The 2008 theory suggests then, that female nipples should have less variation in contrast to their male counterparts which are more ornamental and serve no critical function.
 

To test that 2008 theory, the University of Queensland in Australia recruited 63 consenting female students as participants and scanned and measured their nipples, noting different variables including body mass index and chest circumference.

The research published in Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology indicated that not only do female nipple sizes tend to be larger than average male nipples, but size variation between females was higher at 38% than the 25% variance calculated for men.

The results led authors to dismiss the former 2008 study, saying they "discredit previous studies that have taken relatively high size variability of a feature to indicate lack of functionality."

Some fellow research scientists posed completely different questions though.

The 2008 study also claimed that "the greater length variation of clitorises than of penises meant that the female orgasm is a nonfunctional byproduct of male orgasm."



However, lead researcher of the Australian study, Ashleigh Kelly, stated that variability doesn't consistently reflect functionality. The clitoris and penis assumptions might be a stretch based on the latest research findings.

According to Newsweek, the latest research refuted the 2008 theory when they found female nipples had a higher variable than their male counterpart.

Female nipples are functional as they are used in breastfeeding.

Therefore, the finding that females [sic] nipples are highly variable discredits previous studies that indicate variation in a specific feature indicates a lack of functionality.


The Queensland researchers concluded that future studies should not assume that variation in a body part was the result of natural selection.

But some people just couldn't get past that photo Newsweek chose.


H/T - Malaymail, YouTube, Twitter, Health, TeenVogue

More from Trending

People Reveal The Dark Secrets They Discovered About Someone After They Died

Sometimes you never know who someone is until they're gone.

Everyone has their secrets.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Jesse Watters; Hakeem Jeffries
Fox News; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Jesse Watters Pathetically Tries To Burn Hakeem Jeffries With Bizarre 'Rule For Men' Rant

Fox News personality Jesse Watters was widely mocked after he criticized House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for having recently shared a photo of himself on Instagram that appeared to be digitally altered—with the bench he was leaning against noticeably warped around his hips.

You can see Jeffries' photo below.

Keep ReadingShow less
Snoop Dogg
Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images

Snoop Dogg's Puppy Instagram Breaks Internet

Snoop Dogg introduced his fans to the newest little bow-wow in his household, a puppy named Baby Boy Broadus.

The adorable small tan French bulldog made his debut on the rapper’s Instagram account on June 28th, sporting a Louis Vuitton leash and chewing on his owner’s Death Row Jacket.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
DRM News/YouTube

Trump Ripped After Going Off On Bonkers Rant About Room's Decor During Cabinet Meeting

During Tuesday's cabinet meeting while the press was in attendance, MAGA Republican President Donald Trump gave a rambling stream of consciousness speech that went all over the place before landing on paint versus gold leaf, leading people to again question the POTUS' mental acuity amid a notable cognitive decline.

In a disjointed monologue about the decor in the cabinet room, Trump said he stole a grandfather clock from Secretary of State Marco Rubio's office and chose a painting of James Polk because the frame matched the frame around his favorite President—Andrew Jackson.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Eric Adams
@ericadamsfornyc/Instagram

NYC Mayor Eric Adams Roasted After Viewers Notice Awkward Detail In His 'Morning Routine' Video

New York City Mayor Eric Adams was widely mocked after he shared a video on social media of his "morning routine," with time stamps showing his activities—only for viewers to notice that a standard black-and-white wall clock visible in part of the video showed a very different time.

Adams jumped on the latest Instagram trend this week, sharing his version of a “morning routine” video with his followers. The trend, which has already begun to fade, typically features sped-up clips of people going through their early rituals—complete with edits, ambient music, and timestamp overlays.

Keep ReadingShow less