1 Citation 273 Views 32 Downloads
The universal facial attractiveness (UFA) hypothesis proposes that some
facial features are universally preferred because they are reliable
signals of mate quality. The primary evidence for this hypothesis comes
from cross-cultural studies of perceived attractiveness. However, these
studies do not directly address patterns of morphological variation at the
population level. An unanswered question is therefore: Are universally
preferred facial phenotypes geographically invariant, as the UFA
hypothesis implies? The purpose of our study is to evaluate this often
overlooked aspect of the UFA hypothesis by examining patterns of
geographic variation in chin shape. We collected symphyseal outlines from
180 recent human mandibles (90 male, 90 female) representing nine
geographic regions. Elliptical Fourier functions analysis was used to
quantify chin shape, and principle components analysis was used to compute
shape descriptors. In contrast to the expectations of the UFA hypothesis,
we found significant geographic differences in male and female chin shape.
These findings are consistent with region-specific sexual selection and/or
random genetic drift, but not universal sexual selection. We recommend
that future studies of facial attractiveness take into consideration
patterns of morphological variation within and between diverse human
populations.
273 views reported since publication in 2013.