Female condition influences preferences for sexual dimorphism in faces of male humans (Homo sapiens).

TLDR

In some species, female condition correlates positively with preferences for male secondary sexual traits, and in humans, women's preferences for facial masculinity have been reported to covary with self‑reported attractiveness, suggesting that attractiveness may signal reproductive condition. The study aimed to test whether the link between female condition and preference for facial masculinity extends to other attractiveness measures, namely other‑rated facial attractiveness and waist‑to‑hip ratio. To investigate this, the authors examined women's preferences for masculine male faces across short‑term and long‑term relationship contexts while assessing their waist‑to‑hip ratio and other‑rated facial attractiveness. Women with high (unattractive) WHR and/or low other‑rated facial attractiveness preferred more feminine male faces for long‑term relationships than for short‑term ones, indicating diverse female mate‑choice tactics.

Abstract

In some species, female condition correlates positively with preferences for male secondary sexual traits. Women's preferences for sexually dimorphic characteristics in male faces (facial masculinity) have recently been reported to covary with self-reported attractiveness. As women's attractiveness has been proposed to signal reproductive condition, the findings in human (Homo sapiens) and other species may reflect similar processes. The current study investigated whether the covariation between condition and preferences for masculinity would generalize to 2 further measures of female attractiveness: other-rated facial attractiveness and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Women with high (unattractive) WHR and/or relatively low other-rated facial attractiveness preferred more "feminine" male faces when choosing faces for a long-term relationship than when choosing for a short-term relationship, possibly reflecting diverse tactics in female mate choice.