Why are human penises so large? New evolutionary study finds two main reasons

By Upama Aich, Forrest Research Fellow, Centre for Evolutionary Biology, The University of Western Australia
MIchael Jennions, Emeritus Professor, Evolutionary Biology, Australian National University

“Size matters” sounds like a tabloid cliché, but for evolutionary biologists the size of the human penis is truly a puzzle.

Compared to other great apes, such as chimpanzees and gorillas, the human penis is longer and thicker than expected for a primate of our size.

If the primary role of a penis is simply to transfer sperm, why is the human penis so much larger than those of our closest relatives?

Our new study, published today in PLOS Biology, reveals a larger penis in humans serves…

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