Men evolved better navigation ability than women, according to a recent study. The study was published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior.

The researchers proved this by testing and interviewing dozens of members of the Twe and Tjimba tribes in north-west Namibia. The anthropologists showed that men who did better on a spatial task not only travelled farther than other men but also had children with more women.

"Navigation ability facilitates traveling longer distances and exploring new environments. The farther you travel, the more likely you are to encounter new mating opportunities," said Layne Vashro, the study's first author and Post-Doctoral Researcher in Anthropology from the University of Utah in the US. "The Twe and Tjimba were good subjects for the study because they travel over distances of 120 miles during a year, navigating on foot in a wide-open natural environment like many of our ancestors," he added.

The Twe and Tjimba tribes have open sexual culture and they have lot of affairs with people they are not married to and this is accepted as legal in their culture. “Many men have children by women other than their wives," the authors said.

The results showed that men travelled farther than women and to more places than women. Men reported visiting 3.4 unique locations across 30 miles per location on an average in a year, while women reported visiting only two locations across 20 miles, Vashro said.

 From this study, researchers have found evidence that men evolved better navigation ability than women to engage in increased sexual activities because men with better spatial skills can roam farther and beget children with multiple mates.

By Lizitha