ANT211H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Physical Attractiveness, Cuckold, Clitoris
Document Summary
Female sexual selection: body shape, whr, asymmetry, breasts, menstruation, orgasm, menopause concealed ovulation. Ideal female figure cross culturally signals female reprod status, reprod capability & health status. Waist hip ratio (whr) (singh, 1993a: ratio of breast, hip & waist. Males testosterone: android fat : highly mobilized for energy. Women: estrogen: gynoid fat stimulates fat deposits in abdominal region & inhibits fat deposition in thighs and buttocks inhibits fat deposition in abdomen & stimulates fat in thighs & buttocks: energy reserve for pregnancy & lactation. Problems with whr: studies in remote cultural groups where food is scarce (yu & sheppard, 1998, doesn"t take into account other variables in mate selection. Symmetry(gangstad, thornhill & yeo, 1994: bilaterally symmetrical right and left sides are mirror images. Measure fa fluctuating asymmetry diff between measurements in bilateral elements. Measuring lack of symmetry: hi levels of symmetry are thought to be indicative of hi levels of developmental precision inferred to possess good genes resistance to parasites.
