BBC Science Focus

Can men and women evolve separately?

- LISA MILNE (AGE 14), LV

They have evolved separately, which is why the two sexes are physically different. Evolution has favoured men who have lots of children, so their biological contributi­on to reproducti­on is just a few millilitre­s of cheaply produced sperm. Women, on the other hand, need to supply literally all the energy and nutrients required to build a baby from scratch and feed it, so they’ve evolved a uterus, placenta and milk-producing breasts. However, there is a limit to how far the sexes can diverge. Men and women only differ by one chromosome – the Y chromosome – and all the physical and hormonal difference­s between the sexes ultimately have to fit into that one chromosome.

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