The Popular Myth About Women's Appearance Debunked

New data from an international team of scientists has disproved one of the most popular concepts in evolutionary psychology: physical traits commonly called "feminine" don't necessarily indicate high natural fertility. These traits traditionally include a low waist-to-hip ratio, high-pitched voice, or pronounced softness of facial features. However, their connection with the actual number of children turned out to be either extremely weak or completely absent.

As reported by BAKU.WS, the work was published in the journal Evolutionary Human Sciences (EHS).

Evolutionary biology assumes that differences between male and female bodies were formed under the influence of natural and sexual selection. The female figure on average has more subcutaneous fat, a higher voice, and a different facial contour. For a long time, it was believed that such traits could serve as a kind of "hint" for men, signaling the reproductive advantages of their owners. But if we assume that such features are indeed indicators of high fertility, women with more "feminine" appearances should statistically have more children.

However, a systematic analysis of the data showed a different picture. Researchers analyzed 19 scientific articles, including more than 125 thousand female participants from 16 countries. The actual indicators of reproductive success were taken into account: the number of children and grandchildren, pregnancy history, and offspring survival.

"The popular idea that an hourglass waist, soft facial features, or a high voice serve as reliable biological signals of fertility is not supported by existing research," noted co-author Linda Lidborg, a postdoctoral researcher at Durham University.

To date, there is no convincing evidence that external signs of "femininity" are associated with the actual ability of women to have more children. According to Lidborg, this does not mean that such a connection does not exist, but the current empirical basis is insufficient to confirm it. In the future, scientists plan to conduct large longitudinal studies in cultures with different levels of contraception use to separate biological factors from social ones.