New research, conducted across cultures and species, has found that not only are symmetrical faces regarded as being more attractive, but they may also be indicators of good health and long life.
Symmetrical faces are usually considered to be more attractive. One theory is that the trait is a signal of genetic quality or fertility.
Researchers used photos of Europeans, the Hadza of Tanzania (one of the last hunter-gatherer cultures), and macaque monkeys. People were asked to judge the masculinity of the most and least symmetric pictures. Symmetric males had more masculine facial proportions and symmetric females had more feminine facial proportions…click & see
These findings support the claim that the masculinity or femininity of faces is linked with symmetry, and therefore advertise good genetic quality.
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Sources:
* PLoS One May 7, 2008 (Free Full-Text Article)
