what is the evolutionary significance of beauty....

[Braznor]

I can understand the evolutionary significance of features like hour glass figures and so on. But I cannot understand why humans find certain combinations of facial features appealing and others not. Is it evolutionary or perhaps something else?

I cannot imagine how evolution caused us to develop preferences based on fairly arbitrary facial specifications and features or am I wrong in thinking evolution had a part to play in this?

NOTE: This is not a evolution vs intelligent design thread!

 

[Heisenberg]

The concept of "beauty" really came from the overall health and fertility of potential mates IIRC. The more "beautiful" a person is, the more likely they will produce healthy offspring and continue the species.

 

[slurmsmackenzie]

"beauty is in the eye of the beholder" many cultures find beauty in different places. fat women. long necks. stones in the lips. heroin chic.

personally, i like a woman with some meat on her bones.... lots of guys find it unattactive.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Weeding out the undesirable freaks and mutants.

Symmetry = not defective = good offspring = a beauty way to go.

 

[slurmsmackenzie]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Weeding out the undesirable freaks and mutants.

Symmetry = not defective = good offspring = a beauty way to go.

studies have also shown that symmetrical males are more likely to provide an orgasm to a woman, which in turn allows for easier insemination. having an orgasm while pregnant relieves alot of the stress on the baby and makes for fewer complications.... so i suppose there are some evolutionary advantages to being symmetrical, but beauty is still dependent upon the person making the assessment.

 

[Descartes]

Read about Darwin's sexual selection and perhaps facial symmetry research by Dr. Ramachandran. He discusses these points. There are a number of good books on the topic as well.

 

[Squisher]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Weeding out the undesirable freaks and mutants.

Symmetry = not defective = good offspring = a beauty way to go.

Exactly, if you merge the facial features of all females you actually get an extremely good looking female.

 

[SonnyDaze]

Originally posted by: slurmsmackenzie
"beauty is in the eye of the beholder" many cultures find beauty in different places. fat women. long necks. stones in the lips. heroin chic.

personally, i like a woman with some meat on her bones.... lots of guys find it unattactive.

:music:I like my women like I like my chicken
With a little bit of fat on the ends
Not too much and not too little
Just enough to make me grin

:thumbsup:

 

[slurmsmackenzie]

Originally posted by: SonnyDaze

Originally posted by: slurmsmackenzie
"beauty is in the eye of the beholder" many cultures find beauty in different places. fat women. long necks. stones in the lips. heroin chic.

personally, i like a woman with some meat on her bones.... lots of guys find it unattactive.

:music:I like my women like I like my chicken
With a little bit of fat on the ends
Not too much and not too little
Just enough to make me grin

:thumbsup:

when i slap the ass, i want the thighs to shake, too.

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: slurmsmackenzie

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Weeding out the undesirable freaks and mutants.

Symmetry = not defective = good offspring = a beauty way to go.

studies have also shown that symmetrical males are more likely to provide an orgasm to a woman, which in turn allows for easier insemination. having an orgasm while pregnant relieves alot of the stress on the baby and makes for fewer complications....

I was going to say shens, but then I found this. Interesting.

so i suppose there are some evolutionary advantages to being symmetrical, but beauty is still dependent upon the person making the assessment.

I guess that depends on what you consider beautiful. Considering that the idea of beauty is ultimately derived from genetic preference, I don't see how evolutionary advantage is distinct from personal assessment.

 

[Excelsior]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluctuating_asymmetry

 

[slurmsmackenzie]

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: slurmsmackenzie

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Weeding out the undesirable freaks and mutants.

Symmetry = not defective = good offspring = a beauty way to go.

studies have also shown that symmetrical males are more likely to provide an orgasm to a woman, which in turn allows for easier insemination. having an orgasm while pregnant relieves alot of the stress on the baby and makes for fewer complications....

I was going to say shens, but then I found this. Interesting.

so i suppose there are some evolutionary advantages to being symmetrical, but beauty is still dependent upon the person making the assessment.

I guess that depends on what you consider beautiful. Considering that the idea of beauty is ultimately derived from genetic preference, I don't see how evolutionary advantage is distinct from personal assessment.

ted danson married whoopi goldberg..... /thread.

 

[Brutuskend]

The better you look, the better your chances of getting laid.

The more you get laid the better your chances of producing offspring.

in a nutshell

 

[Vic]

Beauty is a relative, not an absolute. From the evolutionary standpoint, it signifies health and good genes.

 

[JEDI]

Originally posted by: slurmsmackenzie

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: slurmsmackenzie

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Weeding out the undesirable freaks and mutants.

Symmetry = not defective = good offspring = a beauty way to go.

studies have also shown that symmetrical males are more likely to provide an orgasm to a woman, which in turn allows for easier insemination. having an orgasm while pregnant relieves alot of the stress on the baby and makes for fewer complications....

I was going to say shens, but then I found this. Interesting.

so i suppose there are some evolutionary advantages to being symmetrical, but beauty is still dependent upon the person making the assessment.

I guess that depends on what you consider beautiful. Considering that the idea of beauty is ultimately derived from genetic preference, I don't see how evolutionary advantage is distinct from personal assessment.

ted danson married whoopi goldberg..... /thread.

Shens!

"their relationship ended"

 

[slurmsmackenzie]

Originally posted by: JEDI

Originally posted by: slurmsmackenzie

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: slurmsmackenzie

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Weeding out the undesirable freaks and mutants.

Symmetry = not defective = good offspring = a beauty way to go.

studies have also shown that symmetrical males are more likely to provide an orgasm to a woman, which in turn allows for easier insemination. having an orgasm while pregnant relieves alot of the stress on the baby and makes for fewer complications....

I was going to say shens, but then I found this. Interesting.

so i suppose there are some evolutionary advantages to being symmetrical, but beauty is still dependent upon the person making the assessment.

I guess that depends on what you consider beautiful. Considering that the idea of beauty is ultimately derived from genetic preference, I don't see how evolutionary advantage is distinct from personal assessment.

ted danson married whoopi goldberg..... /thread.

Shens!

"their relationship ended"

can't have an ending without a beginning. he bumped uglies with that predator look alike. would you consider her beautiful? neither would i, but hunky 80's mainstay ted danson sure did.