A symmetrical face isn't just prettier - it's healthier too

Source: The Independent
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article316593.ece

A symmetrical face isn't just prettier - it's healthier too


Those fortunate enough to have symmetrical faces have probably
already discovered that they attract the opposite sex. Now they are
being told such fine features actually mean they are healthier.

For the perfectly proportioned face is also an indication that the
body it sits atop is well prepared to fight off infection. The common
cold, asthma and flu are all more likely to be combated efficiently
by those whose left side matches their right.

It's all to do with exposure to testosterone and oestrogen during
development, say researchers whose study is published this week in
the journal Evolution and Human Behaviour. Symmetry, it seems,
suggests that certain men are more masculine and women more feminine.
The study reveals that such faces are also an indication of a person
who has evolved from a large gene pool.

The researchers, based at the University of New Mexico in the United
States, measured the facial features of around 400 young people and
compared them with health records over three years. Features measured
included chin length, jaw width, lip width, eye width, and eye
height. Further studies by scientists in the UK reach a similar
conclusion. Dr Nick Neave, an evolutionary psychologist at
Northumbria University, explained: "We've done research into facial
symmetry and found that if a face is very asymmetrical people are turned off.

"But if a man or woman has a symmetrical face, it's a turn-on. You're
attracted on a subconscious level because, throughout history, humans
have chosen to breed with people they perceive to be healthy. Healthy
genes mean a symmetrical face."

When the US researchers looked at rates of illnesses and antibiotic
use they found direct links with looks. "The research we report in
this paper provides evidence that male masculinity is a marker of
resistance to infection, although, more specifically in this
population, to respiratory diseases,'' they said.

It is well established that testosterone is involved in the immune
system's ability to combat disease. And Professor Dave Perrett at the
University of St Andrews has also suggested that women prefer
symmetrical faces because this indicates healthy genes in their partner.

Similarly, women's facial femininity may signal resistance to
respiratory problems.

The University of New Mexico team warned that women whose partners
have mismatching ears, fingers or elbows tend to fantasise about sex
with other men when they ovulate.

But the researchers caution that the link between looks and health
may change as men and women age. An abundance of testosterone is not
necessarily beneficial in the long term. "Testosterone has
detrimental effects on longevity, as revealed by the relatively long
lifespan of castrated men," researchers said.