"Fact of Nature: Men Willing to Die for Sex"

Fact of Nature: Men Willing to Die for Sex By Robin Nixon, LiveScience Staff Writer

Willing to risk it all for sex (and kids)

"The name of the game in evolution is to get your genes in the next generation," said study researcher Daniel Kruger of the University of Michigan.

Reproductively speaking, men have more to gain, and less to lose, from risk-taking behavior than women, researchers have long said. Essentially, it's okay if the guy dies, because at least once he's done the initial deed, there a chance his offspring will survive.

While having an involved father increases the odds of a child's social and reproductive success, not having a mother, even if she disappears after weaning, is often fatal, especially in developing countries, several studies have shown. Therefore, women, unlike men, may have evolved to avoid physical risks, theorizes researcher Anne Campbell of Durham University in England who was not involved with the study.