Why do men have nipples? We're pretty used to seeing them, but what is
the necessity of them? Do men like to have them, ya know...like women
like having them, well, you know...? Enough said?

Thanks, Yesmam

Hello.

Interesting question!

Here's an explanation from mammalogist Douglas Long, collections
manager for ornithology and mammalogy at the California Academy of
Sciences.

'Why all the male nipples, then? Long cites the embryologic process
that creates mammary tissue and also notes that, evolutionarily
speaking, "It's a lot more difficult to lose an organ than develop an
organ ... It could be that males still have nipples because there's
nothing deleterious about nipples. There's no real need to get rid of
them. Why do we still have toenails, for example? Other animals use
them for digging, scratching or fighting, but we don't. They're
useless but at the same time they don't distract from the business of
living."'
Source:
"Why do men have nipples?" From Salon.com
http://www.salon.com/health/feature/1999/06/08/nipples/
And page 2:
http://www.salon.com/health/feature/1999/06/08/nipples/index1.html

Also this explanation from New Scientist:

'Male and female human embryos are identical in the early stages of
their development. If the fetus receives a Y chromosome from its
father, a hormonal signal is produced: the labia fuse to form a
scrotum, the gonads develop as testicles and a male results. Otherwise
the "default" female remains.
  Various structures in the adult reflect the symmetry of male and
female and their common embryonic source. Men have nipples because
they have already begun to develop when the "switch to male" signal is
received. The development of breasts is halted in most--but not
all--cases but the nipples are not reabsorbed.'
Source: New Scientist
http://www.newscientist.com/lastword/article.jsp?id=lw194

Also see:
"Why do Men have Nipples?" ANDREW M SIMONS Scientific American Online 13jan03
http://www.mindfully.org/Health/2003/Men-Have-Nipples13jan03.htm

The Straight Dope: "Why do men have nipples?"
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_093.html

MadSci Network: Re: why do men have nipples?
http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/may97/861311884.Me.r.html

As for the last part of your question... Well, according to the Salon article... 
"...many actual men state emphatically that male nipples are erogenous zones."
http://www.salon.com/health/feature/1999/06/08/nipples/index1.html

--------

search strategy:
"why do men have nipples"
"male nipples"

I hope this helps. If anything needs clarification or amplification,
please let me know. Thanks.

It always seemed to me that if women's breasts are called 'mammaries',
then men's should be 'daddaries'.

I have a question about "pinkfreud"'s comment.  Yesterday when someone
was impersonating her, everyone said you could tell because the
letters were changed and there was not a hyperlink.  However, the
previous comment is obvious nonsense, but the name is spelled
correctly and there is a hyperlink. I am confused - is this previous
comment made by the impersonator or the real thing? If it is the real
thing, then this is the same person who posted ridiculous comments
yesterday.

Having read Pinkfreud's comments for some time now, this comment seems
very typical.

She has the ability to find obscure things by thinking of unusual
relationships.  I think that this ability also extends to making
extremely wicked puns.

research_help:
Yes, the humorous comment above is from my friend and colleague
Pinkfreud.  The real Pinkfreud is very witty, and her humor is much
appreciated by me and many others.

Yesmam (the customer who asked this question) is someone with whom I
have established a personal rapport, and I had thought that my remark
might give her a smile. I have answered nine GA questions for Yesmam,
and I've learned that her sense of humor is rather quirky, like mine.
I am sorry if my comment has caused offense.

No offense taken here...I like to smile...  : )

I just think the correctly named male counterpart should be
'sirraries', yessir...  : )