面部特征的对称性与吸引力有关,因为它可靠地表明了良好的生理健康状况,特别是潜在的性伴侣,产生了关于人类择偶进化的大量文献。然而,缺乏使用直接或纵向评估生理健康来对该假设进行大规模测试。这里,我们在英格兰西南部的一项大型纵向研究(雅芳父母和儿童纵向研究)中,调查了一个样本(n=4732)中面部波动不对称(FA)与详细个体健康史之间的关系.使用从15岁时进行的三维面部扫描得出的面部标志结构的几何形态分析来评估面部FA。面部FA与儿童健康的纵向测量无关。然而,面部FA和IQ之间存在非常小的负相关性,在校正FA和面部大小之间的正异速关系后仍然显著.总的来说,这项研究不支持面部对称性作为生理健康的可靠线索的观点。因此,如果对面部对称性的偏好确实代表了一种进化的适应,那么他们可能通过在FA的微小差异的基础上在相对健康的个体之间进行选择来不提供边际健身益处,而是进化来激发避免实质性发育障碍和重大病理学的标记。
The idea that symmetry in facial traits is associated with attractiveness because it reliably indicates good physiological health, particularly to potential sexual partners, has generated an extensive literature on the evolution of human mate choice. However, large-scale tests of this hypothesis using direct or longitudinal assessments of physiological health are lacking. Here, we investigate relationships between facial fluctuating asymmetry (FA) and detailed individual health histories in a sample (n = 4732) derived from a large longitudinal
study (Avon Longitudinal
Study of Parents and Children) in South West England. Facial FA was assessed using geometric morphometric analysis of facial landmark configurations derived from three-dimensional facial scans taken at 15 years of age. Facial FA was not associated with longitudinal measures of childhood health. However, there was a very small negative association between facial FA and IQ that remained significant after correcting for a positive allometric relationship between FA and face size. Overall, this
study does not support the idea that facial symmetry acts as a reliable cue to physiological health. Consequently, if preferences for facial symmetry do represent an evolved adaptation, then they probably function not to provide marginal fitness benefits by choosing between relatively healthy individuals on the basis of small differences in FA, but rather evolved to motivate avoidance of markers of substantial developmental disturbance and significant pathology.