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Symmetrical and sexy

By Jim Chen et al.

Herewith a neat article, courtesy of the literature-scouring tool called The Scientific Lawyer and its systematic scouring of Science Daily:

Anthony C. Little, Symmetry Is Related to Sexual Dimorphism in Faces: Data Across Culture and Species, PLoS ONE 3(5): e2106. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002106 (May 8, 2008)

Background

Many animals both display and assess multiple signals. Two prominently studied traits are symmetry and sexual dimorphism, which, for many animals, are proposed cues to heritable fitness benefits. These traits are associated with other potential benefits, such as fertility. In humans, the face has been extensively studied in terms of attractiveness. Faces have the potential to be advertisements of mate quality and both symmetry and sexual dimorphism have been linked to the attractiveness of human face shape.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Here we show that measurements of symmetry and sexual dimorphism from faces are related in humans, both in Europeans and African hunter-gatherers, and in a non-human primate. Using human judges, symmetry measurements were also related to perceived sexual dimorphism. In all samples, symmetric males had more masculine facial proportions and symmetric females had more feminine facial proportions.

Conclusions/Significance

Our findings support the claim that sexual dimorphism and symmetry in faces are signals advertising quality by providing evidence that there must be a biological mechanism linking the two traits during development. Such data also suggests that the signalling properties of faces are universal across human populations and are potentially phylogenetically old in primates.

Full post as published by Biolaw Blog on May 07, 2008 (boomark / email).