US EditionThe long and short of it: Human penis size evolved for both attraction and rivalry, study suggests
Study with 800+ participants finds female attraction peaks at an optimal penis size while men slightly rate larger sizes as more threatening rivals.
- Using 343 anatomically accurate 3D male figures and over 800 participants, the authors found penis size influences female attraction and male rival assessments in a PLOS Biology paper published January 22, 2026.
- The researchers designed the experiment to test whether penis size functions as a signal in both sexual selection pathways, using life-sized projections and online small-screen viewing conditions to address limits of previous online/small-image studies.
- Females preferred larger penises up to a point, with a quadratic selection gradient , while men viewed rivals with larger penises as more threatening, though height and V-shaped torso mattered most.
- The results suggest sexual selection may have jointly favored larger penis size in humans, but Aich et al. caution image-based snap judgments do not show links to real fights or dating outcomes.
- Cultural variation may limit how broadly the findings apply, especially given the heterosexual participants and primarily Western sample, while life-sized projection condition produced stronger effects than online small-screen condition; future research should test cross-cultural generalizability and link perceptions to actual fighting outcomes.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Opinions not only of women, but also of men, may have made male genitalia evolve into its exceptional dimensions.
The long and short of it: Human penis size evolved for both attraction and rivalry, study suggests
This experimental study used life-sized and screen-based 3D male avatars to test how penis size, height, and body shape influence female mate choice and male assessments of rivals. The findings show non-linear female preferences for size and demonstrate that penis size functions as a modest but significant cue in male perceptions of fighting ability, alongside stronger traits such as height and torso shape.
Study: Why Humans Have Unusually Large Penises Compared To Other Primates
Among primates, the human male is an evolutionary outlier. Controlling for body size, human men have greater girth and are generally longer than chimpanzees, gorillas, or orangutans. The post Study: Why Humans Have Unusually Large Penises Compared To Other Primates appeared first on StudyFinds.
The size of a penis matters. At least when a woman is assessing how sexually attractive a man is, according to a new study. But also for men, who see larger-boned competitors as threatening rivals.
© LIIMIT / depositphotos.com Evolution: Female preferences plus rivalry could have jointly favored the disproportionately large penis in humans.
VivaBem, UOL's new health and well-being channel with reliable and scientifically based information, tested tips, and expert guidance
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center, 50% of the sources lean Right
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
