Symmetry, sexual dimorphism in facial proportions and male facial attractiveness

Facial symmetry has been proposed as a marker of developmental stability th at may be important in human mate choice. Several studies have demonstrated positive relationships between facial symmetry and attractiveness. It was recently proposed that symmetry is not a primary cue to facial attractivene ss, as symmetrical faces remain attractive even when presented as half face s (with no cues to symmetry). Facial sexual dimorphisms ('masculinity') hav e been suggested as a possible cue that may covary with symmetry in men fol lowing data on trait size/symmetry relationships in other species. Here, we use real and computer graphic male faces in order to demonstrate that (i) symmetric faces are more attractive, but not reliably more masculine than l ess symmetric faces and (ii) that symmetric faces possess characteristics t hat are attractive independent of symmetry, but that these characteristics remain at present undefined.