Thursday, 12 Apr, 2007 Science

Women are likely to choose masculine looking men when they are ready for fertilization but won't search for long-term relationships with them. However, her choice of the most suitable mate will change considerably depending on the perception of her own attractiveness, study says.

Recent studies on the related theme proved that women are receptive to men's smell at certain time of their periods. The masculine-looking man featuring firm square chin and keen brows are seen as good partners for short-term relationships, while women are still inclined to spend a lifetime with more feminine looking men.

According to a new research that was conducted at University of Stirling in Scotland, women preferences undergo intricate changes during menstrual cycle (women taking hormonal pills were not included in the study). Women were asked to express opinion on their own attractiveness on different points of their periods. Soon after that women had to rate the visual appeal of different male appearance types and were also questioned to tell who was the most attractive short-term or lifetime partner.

The results of the study revealed that those women who were at their most fertile time of the period, were not ready for serious relationships and considered themselves attractive would choose masculine-looking men in most cases.

The reasons explaining such choice of a mate have a biological basis. Since the physical signs of masculinity are connected to high levels of male hormone testosterone this makes those men a better males: energetic, strong and healthy. However, men with higher levels of testosterone are known to live shorter than those with lower levels of testosterone, that make them unreliable partners.

At the last quarter of menstrual cycle when women have similar hormonal profile with pregnancy, women are not seeking for a potential procreator. That's why their preferences fall for female looking men, who tend to be more supportive, which becomes very important for a woman and baby survival.

But the findings of the research also indicate that biological factors are not the only ones taken into consideration. There is an essential link between a woman's vision of her attractiveness and mate choice to add to her biological instincts. Those who have lower self-esteem will not choose a masculine man even being at their most fertile period. This can mean that no matter how strong women's reproductive instincts are, brain is still the most important factor to find a partner.

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