{
  "id": 10435475,
  "title": "Human breasts might have evolved to keep big-brained infants warm",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/human-breasts-might-have-evolved-to-keep-big-brained-infants-warm",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-28T12:00:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "PsyPost",
    "slug": "psypost",
    "url": "https://www.psypost.org/human-breasts-might-have-evolved-to-keep-big-brained-infants-warm/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A Finnish research study has suggested that human breasts may have evolved to aid in keeping newborn infants warm. Researchers from Evolutionary Human Sciences analyzed the temperature and resilience of nursing women's breasts compared to non-nursing women and men. The findings, published in the study \"Infant's thermal balance and the evolution of the human breast – a proof-of-concept study,\" indicate that breastfeeding women experienced higher breast surface temperatures and exhibited greater resilience against cooling when exposed to lower temperatures. The study's authors propose that this evolutionary adaptation could have been beneficial for infants, particularly during the early developmental stages when they have high energy demands and significant thermoregulatory needs. The research involved 20 to 40-year-old participants, including 8 currently breastfeeding women, 12 non-breastfeeding women, and 7 men. Using thermal imaging, scientists measured breast surface temperatures in three different conditions: 32°C, 27°C, and 18°C. The results showed that breastfeeding women maintained higher temperatures and experienced less temperature drop during the 18°C cooling period compared to the other groups. However, the study's small sample size and the potential for varying results in larger groups should be considered when interpreting these findings.",
  "summary": "Unlike other primates, female humans have permanent breasts. Researchers now suggest this unique anatomical trait evolved to provide essential body heat to infants with large, energy-demanding brains.",
  "key_points": [
    "Human breasts evolved to keep infants warm",
    "Breast surface temperatures higher in nursing women",
    "Study suggests evolutionary adaptation for infants"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}