A new meta-study claims it has proof men are funnier than women.

The meta-study was conducted by two men and a woman from universities across the US, none of whom were paid for their research. 

The trio reviewed 28 studies analysing the comedic abilities of 5000 average Joes and Josephines. In most experiments they analysed, participants were told to think of a funny caption for a cartoon, in order to prove which gender was more hilarious.

Independent judges rated the resulting joke either on a scale or as “funny” and “unfunny”, without knowing the participant’s gender. 63% of men were apparently funnier than the standard woman. 

The meta-study also found men were funnier the more time they were given, but that women’s humour improved when they could give multiple responses. It offered evolution as an explanation, with the authors writing “humour is hypothesized to be one such fitness indicator… [humour] is positively correlated with various intelligence measures”.

It is not known whether the researchers will also now look into if men are smarter and better looking than women, too.