Men's facial masculinity predicts changes in their female partners' sexual interests across the ovulatory cycle, whereas men's intelligence does not

Evolution and Human Behavior

Volumn 31, Issue 6, 2010, Pages 412-424

  Gangestad, Steven W ^a   Thornhill, Randy ^a   Garver Apgar, Christine E ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO   (United States)

^b UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO   (United States)

Author keywords

Estrus; Evolutionary Psychology; Facial attractiveness; Facial masculinity; Human sexuality; Intelligence; Mate choice; Menstrual cycle; Sexual selection

Indexed keywords

EID: 77957749788     PISSN: 10905138     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2010.06.001     Document Type: Article

References (92)

1. Arden R., Gottfredson L.S., Miller G., Pierce A. Intelligence and semen quality are positively correlated. Intelligence 2008, 10.1016/j.intell.2008.11.001.
2. Arthur W., Day D.V. Development of a short-form for the Raven Advanced Progressive Matrices test. Educational and Psychological Measurement 1994, 54:394-403.
3. Bates T.C. Fluctuating asymmetry and intelligence. Intelligence 2007, 35:41-46.
4. Brown W.M., Price M.E., Kang J.S., Pound N., Zhao Y., Yu H. Fluctuating asymmetry and preferences for sex-typical bodily characteristics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 2008, 105:12938-12943.
5. Cardenas R.A., Harris L.J. Do women's preferences for symmetry change across the cycle?. Evolution and Human Behavior 2007, 28:96-105.
6. Chippendale A.K., Gibson J.R., Rice W.R. Negative genetic correlation for adult fitness between sexes reveals ontogenetic conflict in Drosophila. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 2001, 98:1671-1675.
7. Dawes R.M. Robust beauty of improper linear models in decision making. American Psychologist 1979, 34:571-582.
8. Feinberg D.R., Jones B.C., Law Smith M.J., Moore F.R., DeBruine L.M., Cornwell R.E., Hillier S.G., Perrett D.I. Effects of menstrual cycle and trait estrogen level on masculinity preferences in the human voice. Hormones and Behavior 2006, 46:215-222.
9. Firman R.C., Simmons L.W., Cummins J.M., Matson P.L. Are body fluctuating asymmetry and the ratio of 2nd to 4th digit length reliable predictors of semen quality?. Human Reproduction 2003, 18:808-812.
10. Franklin D., O'Higgins P., Oxnard C.E. Sexual dimorphism in the mandible of indigenous South Africans: A genometric morphometric approach. South African Journal of Science 2008, 104:101-106.
11. Frederick D.A., Haselton M.G. Why is muscularity sexy? Tests of the fitness indicator hypothesis. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 2007, 33:1167-1183.
12. Frey M.C., Detterman D.K. Scholastic assessment or g? The relationship between scholastic achievement test and general cognitive ability. Psychological Science 2004, 15:373-378.
13. Furlow F.B., Armijo-Pruett T., Gangestad S.W., Thornhill R. Fluctuating asymmetry and psychometric intelligence. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 1997, 264:1-8.
14. Furlow F.B., Gangestad S.W., Armijo-Prewitt T. Developmental stability and human violence. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 1998, 265:1-6.
15. The evolution of mind: Fundamental issues and controversies 2007, Guilford, New York, NY. S.W. Gangestad, J.A. Simpson (Eds.).
16. Gangestad S.W., Garver-Apgar C.E., Simpson J.A., Cousins A.J. Changes in women's mate preferences Across The Ovulatory Cycle. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology 2007, 92:151-163.
17. Gangestad S.W., Simpson J.A., Cousins A.J., Garver-Apgar C.E., Christensen P.N. Women's preferences for male behavioral displays shift across the menstrual cycle. Psychological Science 2004, 15:203-207.
18. Gangestad S.W., Thornhill R. The evolutionary psychology of extra-pair sex: The role of fluctuating asymmetry. Evolution and Human Behavior 1997, 18:69-88.
19. Gangestad S.W., Thornhill R. Menstrual cycle variation in women's preference for the scent of symmetrical men. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 1998, 265:927-933.
20. Gangestad S.W., Thornhill R. Facial masculinity and fluctuating asymmetry. Evolution and Human Behavior 2003, 24:231-241.
21. Gangestad S.W., Thornhill R. Human oestrus. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 2008, 275:991-1000.
22. Gangestad S.W., Thornhill R., Garver-Apgar C.E. Women's sexual interests across the ovulatory cycle depend on primary partner fluctuating asymmetry. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 2005, 272:2023-2027.
23. Gangestad S.W., Thornhill R., Garver C.E. Changes in women's sexual interests and their partners' mate retention tactics across the menstrual cycle: Evidence for shifting conflicts of interest. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 2002, 269:975-982.
24. Gangestad S.W., Thornhill R., Yeo R. Facial attractiveness, developmental stability, and fluctuating asymmetry. Ethology and Sociobiology 1994, 15:73-85.
25. Garver-Apgar, C. E. (2008). Implications of intralocus, sexually antagonistic selection for human attraction and mate choice. Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM.
26. Garver-Apgar C.E., Gangestad S.W., Thornhill R. Hormonal correlates of women's mid-cycle preference for the scent of symmetry. Evolution and Human Behavior 2008, 29:223-232.
27. Garver-Apgar C.E., Gangestad S.W., Thornhill R., Miller R.D., Olp J. MHC alleles, sexually responsivity, and unfaithfulness in romantic couples. Psychological Science 2006, 17:830-835.
28. Gray P.B., Chapman J.F., Burnham T.C., McIntyre M.H., Lipson S.F., Ellison P.T. Human male pair binding and testosterone. Human Nature 2004, 15:119-131.
29. Haselton M.G., Gangestad S.W. Conditional expression of women's desires and male mate retention efforts across the ovulatory cycle. Hormones and Behavior 2006, 49:509-518.
30. Haselton M., Miller G.F. Women's fertility across the cycle increases the short-term attractiveness of creative intelligence compared to wealth. Human Nature 2006, 17:50-73.
31. Havlicek J., Roberts S.C., Flegr J. Women's preference for dominant male odour: Effects of menstrual cycle and relationship status. Biology Letters 2005, 1:256-259.
32. Houle D. Comparing evolvability and variability of traits. Genetics 1992, 130:195-204.
33. Johnson W., Segal N.L., Bouchard T.J. Fluctuating asymmetry and general intelligence: No phenotypic or genetic association. Intelligence 2008, 36:279-288.
34. Johnston V.S., Hagel R., Franklin M., Fink B., Grammer K. Male facial attractiveness: Evidence for hormone-mediated adaptive design. Evolution and Human Behavior 2001, 22:251-267.
35. Kaplan H., Hill K., Lancaster J.B., Hurtado A.M. A theory of human life history evolution: Diet, intelligence, and longevity. Evolutionary Anthropology 2000, 9:156-185.
36. Koehler N., Rhodes G., Simmons L.W. Are human female preferences for symmetrical male faces enhanced when conception is likely?. Animal Behavior 2002, 64:233-238.
37. Koehler N., Rhodes G., Simmons L.W., Zebrowitz L.A. Do cyclic changes in women's face preferences target cues to long-term health. Social Cognition 2006, 24:641-656.
38. Koehler N., Simmons L.W., Rhodes G., Peters M. The relationship between sexual dimorphism in human faces and fluctuating asymmetry. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 2004, 271:S233-S236.
39. Koenig K.A., Frey M.C., Detterman D.K. ACT and general cognitive ability. Intelligence 2008, 36:153-160.
40. Kokko H., Brooks R., Jennions M.D., Morley J. The evolution of mate choice and mating biases. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 2003, 270:653-664.
41. Kokko H., Brooks R., McNamara J.M., Houston A.I. The sexual selection continuum. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 2002, 269:1331-1340.
42. Kutlu N., Ekerbicer N., Ari Z., Uyanik B.S., Zeren T., Tan U. Testosterone and nonverbal intelligence in right-handed men with successful and unsuccessful educational levels. International Journal of Neuroscience 2001, 111:1-9.
43. Lie H.C., Rhodes G., Simmons L.W. Genetic diversity revealed in human faces. Evolution 2008, 62:2473-2486.
44. Little A.C., Jones B.C., Burriss R.P. Preferences for masculinity in male bodies change across the menstrual cycle. Hormones and Behavior 2007, 31:633-639.
45. Little A.C., Jones B.C., Burt D.M., Perrett D.I. Preferences for symmetry in faces change across the menstrual cycle. Biological Psychology 2007, 76:209-216.
46. Little A.C., Jones B.C., DeBruine L.M. Preferences for variation in masculinity in real male faces change across the menstrual cycle: Women prefer more masculine faces when they are fertile. Personality and Individual Differences 2008, 45:478-482.
47. Little A.C., Jones B.C., Penton-Voak I.S., Burt D.M., Perrett D.I. Partnership status and the temporal context of relationships influence human female preferences for sexual dimorphism in male face shape. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 2002, 269:1095-1100.
48. Little A.C., Jones B.C., Waitt C., Tiddeman B.P., Feinberg D.R., Perrett D.I., Apicella C.L., Marlowe F.W. Symmetry is related to sexual dimorphism: Data across cultures and species. PLoS ONE 2008, 3:e2106. 10.1371/journal.pone.0002106.
49. Luxen M.F., Buunk B.P. Human intelligence, fluctuating asymmetry, and the peacock's tail: General intelligence (g) as an honest signal of fitness. Personality and Individual Differences 2006, 41:897-902.
50. Manning J.T., Scutt D., Lewis-Jones D.I. Developmental stability, ejaculate size, and quality in men. Evolution and Human Behavior 1998, 19:273-282.
51. Manning J.T., Wood D. Fluctuating asymmetry and aggression in boys. Human Nature 1998, 9:53-65.
52. McDaniel M.A. Big-brained people are smarter: A meta-analysis of the relationship between in vivo brain volume and intelligence. Intelligence 2005, 33:337-346.
53. Miller G.F. The mating mind: How sexual choice shaped the evolution of human nature 2000, Anchor Books, New York, NY.
54. Miller G.F., Penke L. The evolution of human intelligence and the coefficient of additive genetic variance in brain size. Intelligence 2007, 35:97-114.
55. Neisser U., Boodoo G., Bouchard T.J., Boykin A.W., Brody N., Ceci S.J., Halpern D.F., Loehlin J.C., Perloff R., Sternberg R.J., Urbina S. Intelligence: Knowns and unknowns. American Psychologist 1996, 51:77-101.
56. Pawlowski B., Jasienska G. Women's preferences for sexual dimorphism in height depend on menstrual cycle phase and expected duration of relationship. Biological Psychology 2005, 70:38-43.
57. Penton-Voak I.S., Jacobson A., Trivers R. Populational differences in attractiveness judgments in male and female faces: Comparing British and Jamaican samples. Evolution and Human Behavior 2004, 25:355-370.
58. Penton-Voak I.S., Jones B.C., Little A.C., Baker S., Tiddeman B., Burt D.M., Perrett D.I. Symmetry, sexual dimorphism in facial proportions and male facial attractiveness. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 2001, 268:1617-1623.
59. Penton-Voak I.S., Perrett D.I. Female preference for male faces changes cyclically-further evidence. Evolution and Human Behavior 2000, 21:39-48.
60. Penton-Voak I.S., Perrett D.I., Castles D.L., Kobayashi T., Burt D.M., Murray L.K., Minamisawa R. Female preference for male faces changes cyclically. Nature 1999, 399:741-742.
61. Peters M., Rhodes G., Simmons L.W. Does attractiveness in men provide clues to semen quality?. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 2008, 21:572-579.
62. Peters M., Simmons L.W., Rhodes G. Preferences across the menstrual cycle for masculinity and symmetry in photographs of male faces and bodies. PLoS ONE 2009, 4:e4138.
63. Pillsworth E.G., Haselton M.G. Male sexual attractiveness predicts differential ovulatory shifts in female extra-pair attraction and male mate retention. Evolution and Human Behavior 2006, 27:247-258.
64. Pillsworth E.G., Haselton M.G., Buss D.M. Ovulatory shifts in female sexual desire. Journal of Sex Research 2004, 41:55-65.
65. Pizzari T., Froman D.P., Birkhead T.R. Pre- and post-insemination episodes of sexual selection in the fowl, Gallus g. domesticus. Heredity 2002, 88:112-116.
66. Pomiankowski A., Møller A.P. A resolution of the lek paradox. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 1995, 260:21-29.
67. Prokosch M.D., Coss R.G., Scheib J.E., Blosiz S.A. Intelligence and mate choice: Intelligent men are always appealing. Evolution and Human Behavior 2008, 30:11-20.
68. Prokosch M.D., Yeo R.A., Miller G.F. Intelligence tests with higher g-loadings show higher correlations with body symmetry: Evidence for a general; fitness factor mediated by developmental stability. Intelligence 2005, 33:203-213.
69. Puts D.A. Mating context and menstrual phase affect women's preferences for male voice pitch. Evol. Hum. Behav. 2005, 26:388-397.
70. Puts D.A. Cyclic variation in women's preferences for masculine traits: Potential hormonal causes. Human Nature 2006, 17:114-127.
71. Puts D.A. Beauty and the beast: mechanisms of sexual selection in humans. Evolution and Human Behavior 2010, 31:157-175.
72. Rahman Q., Wilson G.D., Abrahams S. Developmental instability is associated with neurocognitive performance in heterosexual and homosexual men but not in women. Behavioral Neuroscience 2004, 118:243-247.
73. Raven J.C., Court J.H., Raven J. A manual for Raven's Progressive Matrices and Vocabulary Scales 1985, H. K. Lewis, London.
74. Rhodes G. The evolutionary psychology of facial beauty. Annual Review of Psychology 2006, 57:199-226.
75. Rikowski A., Grammer K. Human body odour, symmetry and attractiveness. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 1999, 266:869-874.
76. Roney J.R., Simmons Z.L. Women's estradiol predicts preference for facial cues of men's testosterone. Hormones and Behavior 2008.
77. Rowe L., Houle D. The lek paradox and the capture of genetic variance by condition-dependent traits. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 1996, 263:1415-1421.
78. Scarbrough P.S., Johnston V.S. Individual differences in women's facial preferences as a function of digit ratio and mental rotation ability. Evolution and Human Behavior 2005, 26:509-526.
79. Simpson J.A., Gangestad S.W., Christensen P.N., Leck K. Fluctuating asymmetry, sociosexuality, and intrasexual competitive tactics. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1999, 76:159-172.
80. Soler C., Núñez M., Gutiérrez R., Núñez J., Medina P., Sancho M., Álvarez J., Núñez A. Facial attractiveness in men provides clues to semen quality. Evolution and Human Behavior 2003, 24:199-207.
81. Steyn M., Iscan M.Y. Sexual dimorphism of the crania and mandibles of South African whites. Forensic Science International 1998, 98:9-16.
82. Swaddle J.P., Reierson G.W. Testosterone increases perceived dominance but not attractiveness of human males. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 2002, 269:2285-2289.
83. Tan U., Tan M. Curvilinear correlations between total testosterone levels and fluid intelligence in men and women. International Journal of Neuroscience 1998, 95:77-83.
84. Thoma R.J., Yeo R.A., Gangestad S.W., Halgren E., Sanchez N.M., Lewine J.D. Cortical volume and developmental instability are independent predictors of general intellectual ability. Intelligence 2005, 33:27-38.
85. Thornhill R., Gangestad S.W. Human facial beauty: Averageness, symmetry and parasite resistance. Human Nature 1993, 4:237-269.
86. Thornhill R., Gangestad S.W. Human fluctuating asymmetry and human sexual behavior. Psychological Science 1994, 5:297-302.
87. Thornhill R., Gangestad S.W. The scent of symmetry: A human sex pheromone that signals fitness?. Evolution and Human Behavior 1999, 20:175-201.
88. Thornhill R., Gangestad S.W. The evolutionary biology of human female sexuality 2008, Oxford University Press, New York, NY.
89. Thornhill R., Gangestad S.W., Miller R., Scheyd G., Knight J., Franklin M. MHC, symmetry, and body scent attractiveness in men and women. Behavioral Ecology 2003, 14:668-678.
90. Watve M.G., Yajnik C.S. Evolutionary origins of insulin resistance: A behavioral switch hypothesis. BMC Evolutionary Biology 2007, 7:61. 10.1186/1471-2148-7-61.
91. Welling L.L.M., Jones B.C., DeBruine L.M., Conway C.A., Law Smith M.J., Little A.C., Feinberg D.R., Sharp M.A., Al-Dujaili E.A.S. Raised salivary testosterone in women is associated with increased attraction to masculine faces. Hormones and Behavior 2007, 52:156-161.
92. Wilcox A.J., Weinberg C.R., Baird D.D. Timing of sexual intercourse in relation to ovulation: Effects on the probability of conception, survival of the pregnancy, and sex of the baby. New England Journal of Medicine 1995, 333:1517-1521.