The Evolution of Masturbation

This Masturbation May, I want to provide a little history lesson and take you back. About 40 million years back. Because that is how far evolutionary biologists have traced the origins of masturbation to. Perhaps surprisingly, or maybe unsurprisingly to some, the act of masturbation predates human beings and was present in the common ancestor of all monkeys and apes.

An Evolutionary Conundrum!

So how do we know this? Did monkeys wake up one morning and start masturbating? Well, not exactly. The findings emerged from what scientists believed is the largest set of data ever compiled on the activity. A group of scientists delved deep into the history of the behaviour by pulling through hundreds of publications and personal notes about masturbating primates from primatologists and zoo keepers in the hope of understanding the origins of what at first glance seemed an evolutionary conundrum.

Why Did Primates Masturbate?

The research found support for the idea that male masturbation boosted the chances of impregnating a mate. For example, a low-ranking male may masturbate just enough to increase their arousal before sex, meaning they inseminated their partner faster — and before a burly competitor had the chance to knock them off and spoil the fun.

Masturbation could also help males to shed old sperm, leaving them with fresher, more competitive sperm for sex. Further research indicated that masturbation in primates increased reproductive success and reduced the incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STI).

The Evolution of Masturbation

While it is still somewhat unclear how masturbation evolved over the years from primates to humans, it is interesting to see that it has always been a healthy part of our sexual behaviour.

How do you think masturbation will evolve in the next 40 million years?

- I