«THERE SHOULD BE COURSE IN FIRST GRADE ON LOVE»

When it comes to choosing between a rugged, conventionally handsome man and an ordinary, less attractive partner, women have a difficult choice to make.In a series of scientific studies, women found square-jawed, masculine faces to be the sexiest and the most attractive for a casual sexual encounter.But they judged somewhat less masculine faces to be more attractive for a long-term relationship.Women's sexual desires for testosterone-fuelled facial cues of masculinity were especially strong during the fertile window of their cycle.The most plausible interpretation of these results is that women are attracted to men who are likely to be 'good dads' when choosing long-term mates, but are attracted to the signals of robust health that more masculine faces provide when they are most likely to become impregnated.Why do more masculine faces signify health? High testosterone production actually compromises the body's immune functioning, leaving men less able to fight off diseases and parasites in adolescence.Only men who are above average in healthiness during adolescence can 'afford' to produce the high levels of testosterone that masculinise the face. Less healthy adolescents can't afford to compromise their already precarious immune systems, and so produce lower levels of testosterone at precisely the time when facial bones take their adult form.
So, a masculine-looking face signals a man's health, his ability to succeed in competing with other men and his ability to protect.This interpretation, however, raises a puzzle: Why wouldn't women be attracted to highly masculine males for all mating relationships, from dangerous liaisons through to life-long love? The answer lies in the fact that the more masculine men, with more testosterone, tend to be less sexually faithful. They are more likely to be the risk-taking, womanising bad boys among the male population. Consequently, most women face a trade- off: if they choose the less masculine-looking man, they are likely to get a better father and sexually loyal mate, but they lose out in the currency of genes for good health.

The Daily Mail