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dc.contributor.authorLittle, Anthony Charles
dc.contributor.authorJones, Benedict Christopher
dc.contributor.authorWaitt, C.
dc.contributor.authorTiddeman, Bernard Paul
dc.contributor.authorFeinberg, David Russell
dc.contributor.authorPerrett, David Ian
dc.contributor.authorApicella, C.L.
dc.contributor.authorMarlowe, F.W.
dc.date.accessioned2013-12-02T10:31:01Z
dc.date.available2013-12-02T10:31:01Z
dc.date.issued2008-05
dc.identifier5334803
dc.identifier992aefa8-201b-453c-86eb-1a66c4375bb7
dc.identifier47749135899
dc.identifier000261642400028
dc.identifier.citationLittle , A C , Jones , B C , Waitt , C , Tiddeman , B P , Feinberg , D R , Perrett , D I , Apicella , C L & Marlowe , F W 2008 , ' Symmetry is related to sexual dimorphism in faces : data across culture and species ' , PLoS One , vol. 3 , no. 5 , e2106 . https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0002106en
dc.identifier.issn1932-6203
dc.identifier.otherORCID: /0000-0002-6025-0939/work/64361014
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10023/4233
dc.description.abstractBackground: 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.
dc.format.extent192763
dc.language.isoeng
dc.relation.ispartofPLoS Oneen
dc.subjectFacial symmetryen
dc.subjectSexaul dimorphismen
dc.subjectSexual selectionen
dc.titleSymmetry is related to sexual dimorphism in faces : data across culture and speciesen
dc.typeJournal articleen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. School of Psychology and Neuroscienceen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. Institute of Behavioural and Neural Sciencesen
dc.identifier.doi10.1371/journal.pone.0002106
dc.description.statusPeer revieweden


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