title: Facial attractiveness, symmetry, and physical fitness in young women.
abstract: This study explores the evolutionary-based hypothesis that facial attractiveness (a guiding force in mate selection) is a cue for physical fitness (presumably an important contributor to mate value in ancestral times). Since fluctuating asymmetry, a measure of developmental stability, is known to be a valid cue for fitness in several biological domains, we scrutinized facial asymmetry as a potential mediator between attractiveness and fitness. In our sample of young women, facial beauty indeed indicated physical fitness. The relationships that pertained to asymmetry were in the expected direction. However, a closer analysis revealed that facial asymmetry did not mediate the relationship between fitness and attractiveness. Unexpected problems regarding the measurement of facial asymmetry are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Psychologisches Institut, Technische Universität Chemnitz, Wilhelm-Raabe-Str. 43, D-09120, Chemnitz, Germany. johannes.hoenekopp@phil.tu-chemnitz.de.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hönekopp
authors.affiliation: Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bartholomé
authors.affiliation: Christoph Dornier Klinik, Germany.
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jansen
keywords: Facial attractiveness; Fluctuating asymmetry; Mate choice; Physical fitness