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In the primate world , plump breasts last only as long as breastfeeding doesexcept in man . Women are sonsy all the time , even after change of life . harmonise to some scientists , the trait is an evolutionary trick for snag men and signals a adult female ’s ability to tip her children .

But no one can confirm an resolution as to why women are the only apes withsizable chest .

Life’s Little Mysteries

Even though they appear full , a womanhood ’s breasts are only filled with milk after a she gives nascence . The rest of the clip , they ’re mostly made up of fat .

" Human breasts could therefore be a kind of biological magic , " according to David P. Barash and Judith Eve Lipton at theNational Sexuality Resource Center .

However , Barash and Lipton composition that full chest could just as easy signal the truth about a woman ’s ability tostore fatand her fertility . For example , flat - chested prepubescent girls are too new to bear children , and the sag shriveled chests of old charwoman may intimate they ’re past their prime .

CT of a Neanderthal skull facing to the right and a CT scan of a human skull facing to the left

Because breasts sometimes get in women ’s way , some scientists have developed an evolutionary theory they call a " handicap principle . " consort to this theory , hard breasts honestly announce a woman ’s hereditary health , but at a price of her carry them around .

Barash and Lipton explain that this same musical theme applies to creatures like the male peacock butterfly , which swagger around with his clumsy , cosmetic shadower in hopes of roping in match .

One lesser - agreed upon possibility , support by Leonard Shlain , a operating surgeon and source of " Sex , Time and Power : How Women ’s Sexuality Shaped Human Evolution,"(Viking , 2003 ) , evoke that woman ’s breasts arise around after ourearly ancestorsstood upright .

a kangaroo with a joey in her pouch

In this view , the knocker of the female ancestors of humans evolved over time , along with a gradual tilting of the pelvis , so that the vagina was more orientated to the front of the consistence . Together , these transformations encouraged font - to - face sex , and marked a departure from the position most commonly used by other apes , in which the male approaches the female person from behind .

Ethologist Desmond Morris has also propose this theory , and has suggested breasts are substitutes for the rotund , scarlet buttocks of our femaleape ancestors .

Got a question?Email itto Life ’s Little Mysteries and we ’ll attempt to answer it . Due to the intensity of questions , we unfortunately ca n’t respond individually , but we will publish answers to the most challenging questions , so check back soon .

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