The explanation I was once given (by an elderly female librarian at a bar, long story) is that all the nerves in the clitoris are just there to provide the same pro-mating pleasure signals as all the nerves in the male penis. But if they were spread throughout the entire ring of the vagina, (as they are throughout the penis) they would be extra painful during childbirth when the whole opening is stretched and torn. Extra nerves mean more exquisite pain signals (think paper cuts on the fingertips vs elsewhere.) It might even damage them long-term. Concentrating all the most sensitive nerves in a tiny spot at the top makes them available for pleasure during sex but minimizes damage and pain during childbirth.

I thought that the clitoris contains all the nerve endings that would be in the male penis, just in the smaller area vs being spread out over the entire penis and penis nerves are selected for to encourage male mating.

Good point on the first paragraphs. The why seems to be that it’s mostly about pleasure.

Although not essential for survival, pleasure seems to be programmed in us as a species, so the body evolving this to give women the balance of a complex pleasure organ to make up for the pain — in so many levels — they go through during birth.

So maybe nature was like “they suffer a lot during birth and pregnancy, let’s give them a clitoris that gives them REALLY good pleasure that the male counterpart won’t be able to ever experience or comprehend.”

“Fuck those kids, they’re hurting us!”

I think you’d be surprised by how many people just see the vagina as a whole you stick a penis in. But agree with this not being a big mystery being unlocked.