Scientists reveal how men evolved to masturbate - but admit they don't know why ... trends now
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It's often seen as a taboo subject, despite being something that many people do.
But scientists have put any embarrassment about masturbation aside in a new study looking into the origins of the practice.
While previous studies suggested that masturbation was simply a by-product of sexual arousal, the team from UCL claims that the behaviour actually served an evolutionary purpose – at least in men.
Their findings indicate that masturbation evolved in male primates to increase mating success and help to avoid STIs.
However, the scientists admit that when it comes to women, they're still clueless as to the origins of masturbation.
It's often seen as a taboo subject, despite being something that many people do. But scientists have put any embarrassment about masturbation aside in a new study looking into the origins of the practice (stock image)
Masturbation isn't just practiced by humans – it's common across the animal kingdom, particularly in primates.
However, until now, how and when it became prevalent has remained unclear.
In the new study, the team assembled the largest ever dataset of primate masturbation, including information from nearly 400 sources.
Their analysis of the data revealed that masturbation dates back millions of years and was likely even practiced by the common ancestor of monkeys and humans.
To understand why evolution would promote masturbation, the team tested several theories.
The 'postcopulatory selection hypothesis' suggests that self-stimulation improves fertilisation, through various ways.
Firstly, masturbating (without ejaculation) before sex increases arousal – a tactic that may be particularly useful for low-ranking males who are likely to be interrupted during sex, by helping them to ejaculate