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Darius von Guttner Sporzynski, Professor of History, Australian Catholic University

The penis evolved to be noticed – but the artful fig leaf has hidden it for centuries

Wawel Royal Castle National Art Collection, Kraków/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY

A new evolutionary study has found human penises are large compared with other primates: for two reasons. The first is reproduction. The second is that size works as a signal, attracting potential mates and intimidating rivals. In evolutionary terms, the penis is big because it is meant to be noticed.

That finding lands awkwardly in a world that has spent centuries hiding, shrinking, censoring or symbolically neutralising the penis whenever it becomes too visible.

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