PATHOGEN PREVALENCE AND HUMAN MATE PREFERENCES

Members of host species in pathogen-host coevolutionary races may be s elected to choose mates who possess features of physical appearance as sociated with pathogen resistance. Human data from 29 cultures indicat e that people in geographical areas carrying relatively greater preval ences of pathogens value a mate's physical attractiveness more than pe ople in areas with relatively little pathogen incidence. The relations hip between pathogen prevalence and the value people place on physical attractiveness remained strong even after potential confounds such as distance from the equator, geographical region, and average income we re statistically controlled for. Discussion focuses on potential limit ations of the data, alternative explanations for the findings, and the nature of adaptations to the problems posed by pathogen prevalence.