The Louder the Monkey, the Smaller Its Balls, Study Finds - Motherboard https://t.co/6xPfYo0ykT

— James C.Coyne (@CoyneoftheRealm) August 6, 2017

[…]

Naturally, Knapp warns against anthropomorphizing these findings, and she is completely right. There is a world of difference between howler monkeys and humans, especially with regard to sexual selection.

And yet, the study still conjures up visions of dudes who ride incomprehensibly loud motorcycles, or who catcall women on the street. Far from coming off as masculine, this kind of thing reeks of overcompensation in other, more sensitive areas. As the saying goes: the empty vessel makes the loudest sound, and it seems that may be especially true when the vessel in question is balls.