How HUMAN controlled his urge

Lust is a universal preoccupation, one of the most compelling of the Seven Deadly Sins, new studies confirm. Whereas not only humans, but also birds and mammals, regularly engage in promiscuous, lecherous behaviour, researchers report that only people are capable of controlling such urges.

Studies at Northwestern University indicate that lust and cuckoldry are almost "compulsive" as a direct result of their impact on the brain's reward centres, which are foci of sensual interpretation. Erotic stimuli create a neurological frenzy.

Studies at Rutgers University, the State University of New York and elsewhere show infidelity and lewd behaviour in mammals and birds result from a "constellation of neural correlates." Researchers agree that lust probably evolved to generate mating behaviour among any appropriate partners.

Storyteller: Helen E. Fisher anthropology professor and human behavior researcher, Rutgers University

Humans alone can control lust, but most don't