They reported higher levels of both physical and emotional pain.

 

However, researchers also said that, over time, they came out stronger - while men simply moved on and never fully¹ recover.

 

According to Craig Morris, research associate at Binghamton University and lead author on the study, the differences boil down to biology.

 

Women have more to lose by dating the wrong person.

 

'Put simply, women are evolved to invest far more in a relationship than a man,' Morris said.

 

'A brief romantic encounter could lead to nine months of pregnancy² followed by many years of lactation for an ancestral woman, while the man may have 'left the scene' literally³ minutes after the encounter, with no further biological investment.

 

'It is this 'risk' of higher biological investment that, over evolutionary⁴ time, has made women choosier about selecting a high-quality mate.

 

'Hence, the loss of a relationship with a high-quality mate 'hurts' more for a woman.'

 

Conversely, as men have evolved to compete for the romantic attention of women, the loss of a high-quality mate for a man may not 'hurt' as much at first, Morris said.

 

'The man will likely feel the loss deeply and for a very long period of time as it 'sinks in' that he must 'start competing' all over again to replace what he has lost - or worse still, come to the realization⁵ that the loss is irreplaceable,' he said.

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