Fluctuating asymmetry and preferences for sex-typical bodily characteristics
- 2 September 2008
- journal article
- Published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
- Vol. 105 (35), 12938-12943
- https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0710420105
Abstract
Body size and shape seem to have been sexually selected in a variety of species, including humans, but little is known about what attractive bodies signal about underlying genotypic or phenotypic quality. A widely used indicator of phenotypic quality in evolutionary analyses is degree of symmetry (i.e., fluctuating asymmetry, FA) because it is a marker of developmental stability, which is defined as an organism's ability to develop toward an adaptive end-point despite perturbations during its ontogeny. Here we sought to establish whether attractive bodies signal low FA to observers, and, if so, which aspects of attractive bodies are most predictive of lower FA. We used a 3D optical body scanner to measure FA and to isolate size and shape characteristics in a sample of 77 individuals (40 males and 37 females). From the 3D body scan data, 360 degrees videos were created that separated body shape from other aspects of visual appearance (e.g., skin color and facial features). These videos then were presented to 87 evaluators for attractiveness ratings. We found strong negative correlations between FA and bodily attractiveness in both sexes. Further, sex-typical body size and shape characteristics were rated as attractive and correlated negatively with FA. Finally, geometric morphometric analysis of joint configurations revealed that sex-typical joint configurations were associated with both perceived attractiveness and lower FA for male but not for female bodies. In sum, body size and shape seem to show evidence of sexual selection and indicate important information about the phenotypic quality of individuals.This publication has 46 references indexed in Scilit:
- Effects of Pelvic Asymmetry and Low Back Pain on Trunk Kinematics During Sitting: A Comparison With StandingSpine, 2006
- CORRELATIONAL SELECTION LEADS TO GENETIC INTEGRATION OF BODY SIZE AND AN ATTRACTIVE PLUMAGE TRAIT IN DARK-EYED JUNCOSEvolution, 2005
- The relationship between sexual dimorphism in human faces and fluctuating asymmetryProceedings. Biological sciences, 2004
- SEXUAL DIMORPHISM IN LIZARD BODY SHAPE: THE ROLES OF SEXUAL SELECTION AND FECUNDITY SELECTIONEvolution, 2002
- Is symmetry a visual cue to attractiveness in the human female body?Evolution and Human Behavior, 2000
- Facial growth in Cercocebus torquatus: an application of three‐dimensional geometric morphometric techniques to the study of morphological variationJournal of Anatomy, 1998
- Symmetry and Performance in Middle Distance RunnersInternational Journal of Sports Medicine, 1998
- Does fluctuating asymmetry reflect the importance of traits in little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus)?Canadian Journal of Zoology, 1995
- Adaptive significance of female physical attractiveness: Role of waist-to-hip ratio.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1993
- Mate selection—A selection for a handicapJournal of Theoretical Biology, 1975