(Newser)
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Wars, brawls, defense budgets, riots: All of these aggressive male by-products are genetically rooted in men's drive to win as many mates as possible, according to British scientists. A study published this week blames the world's conflicts on this male "tribal" attitude, saying it "might not be functional in modern times and [is] often counterproductive," Global Post reports via the Telegraph.
Researchers even compared men to chimpanzees battling for territory: "When a male strays too far ... he is likely to be brutally beaten and possibly killed," said one professor. "The human mind is shaped in a way that tends to perpetuate conflict with 'outsiders.'" A possible bright spot for men: their ability to bond in a group, especially one with an outside enemy. Mongolian warlord Genghis Khan profited by engaging such enemies, the Telegraph notes, and has an estimated 16 million direct male descendants alive today. (See what scientists say happens to women's sex drive—at age 40.)
