The Female Shape – Part 1

Posted by Leslie on November 12th, 2007 | No Comments

I’ve found several interesting articles on the female body shape. Here’s the first:

As someone interested in evolution and science, I’ve always wondered about the differences between humans and other primates. Why did humans evolve so differently in some areas, despite having such close DNA? One area of disparity is the female breasts. Other primates have flat chests with nipples for their young. Why did humans alone develop the larger protrusions?

A biological anthropologist (cool job!) was curious, as well. Her theory is suffocation. Due to the flat noses of newborns, if they nursed while pressed directly against the chest wall, they would likely smother. It’s a compelling theory:

Could the breast have evolved and enlarged precisely to give infants room to breathe?

Most primate infants aren’t at risk of suffocation, she realised, because they have a protruding jaw and lips. So she suggests that the breast co-evolved with human facial features.

As the face became flatter, the breast became larger to compensate. “If infants were dying, that would have provided a very strong selection,” she says.