Why Do Men Have Nipples?

Anatomical development is well underway before sex determination in an embryo. And, according to evolutionary theory, the better question may be: Why not?

By Cody Cottier
Jan 4, 2021 10:00 PM
Man covering his nipples
(Credit: Cookie Studio/Shutterstock)

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Looking over every detail of the human body, male nipples may be the most obviously useless. In females, they are essential for delivering life-sustaining breast milk to newborns. In men, they serve, well, no apparent purpose. Virtually every other anatomical structure clearly furthers the enterprise of survival and reproduction, so why would we evolve one that doesn’t?

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