The symmetry of Michelangelo's "David" or even Leonardo diCaprio is a mating call as compelling as brute strength, according to scientists. In fact, even science is a bit confused when it comes to how we pick mates. It seems "pre-existing preferences" may play a major role in the selection.
Writing in the journal Science, University of Texas researchers say these preferences, including "receiver biases" or "sensory exploitation," may play a larger role in sexual selection across the animal spectrum, including humans.
Such selection was long-thought to be determined by the size of an individual, such as females choosing large males. But Dr. Michael J. Ryan says it appears to be more a matter of built-in preferences, such as the symmetry of a prospective partner.
How those biases become embedded in individuals remains a mystery. Ryan says it could be that "human perception is simply better at responding to symmetrical cues."
