Guys, are you good dancers? Your superior moves may
indicate greater body symmetry — a factor in mate
selection.
“Dancing is believed to be important in the courtship of a
variety of species, including humans,” writes researcher
William M. Brown, PhD, an anthropologist with Rutgers
University. His paper appears in the latest issue of the
journal Nature.
Mating studies revealed that women seek out males with
bodily symmetry, he explains. If the potential mate has a
great degree of asymmetry, he or she is judged to be less than
optimal. In numerous species, asymmetry is linked to greater
rates of disease and early death, and lesser success in
fertility — all important to their selection as mates.
A guy’s or girl’s symmetry (or lack of it) affects their
attractiveness in other ways, too – like odor, voice, and
facial appearance, Brown notes.
Brown explains that in species where fathers invest less
time than do mothers in the offspring, females are expected to
be more selective in mate choice — and males to invest more in
courtship display. Thus, females would be the judge of a
male’s symmetry (and mating potential) — as told in his
dancing ability, Brown theorized.
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Women Prefer Good Dancers
Earlier efforts to study dance quality and symmetry in
human courtship have been complicated by factors such as
clothing and physical appearance, notes Brown. To overcome
these obstacles, he used motion-capture technology (commonly
used in medical and sports studies) to separate the dance
motion from the dancer’s appearance.
In his study, Brown captured dance motions of 183 human
dancers in Southfield, Jamaica. Each male and female danced
alone for one minute. Dancers ranged in age from 14 to 19.
Forty dance animations were chosen based on body asymmetry.
Those individuals in the top third in asymmetry were
categorized as “asymmetrical” while those at the bottom third
were “symmetrical.”
A separate group of 153 Jamaicans evaluated the dancers on
a dance scale. All the dancers were unrecognizable because of
the motion-capture technology. It was even difficult to
determine whether the dancer was male or female, he notes.
Indeed, the study showed that symmetrical females and males
were preferred. Symmetrical males were rated as better dancers
compared with asymmetrical males. They were also rated as
better dancers than the symmetrical females.
Women watching the recordings preferred the dances of
symmetrical men. Likewise, men preferred dances performed by
more symmetrical females — although this was not a strong
finding, which confirms the theory that women are more
selective in choosing mates, he writes.
Why is symmetry so important? “We do not know,” writes
Brown. “Perhaps it indicates good coordination or good health,
including freedom from parasites. Attractive dances may be
more difficult to perform, more rhythmic, more energetic, more
energy efficient, or any combination of these factors.”
In future studies, he plans to investigate the link between
dance ability and fertility.
Men & Women Assess Potential
Mates in 3 Min. or Less
By Jeanie Lerche Davis, reviewed
by Brunilda Nazario, MD
SOURCE: Brown, W. Nature, Dec. 29, 2005; vol. 438: pp
1148-1150.
