Growing evidence shows that features we find attractive in members of the opposite sex signal important underlying dimensions of health and reproductive viability. It has been discovered that men with attractive faces have higher quality sperm, women with attractive bodies are more fertile, men and women with attractive voices lose their virginity sooner, men who spend more money than they earn have more sex partners, and lap dancers make more tips when they are in the fertile phase of their menstrual cycle. This paper highlights recent evidence showing that the way we perceive other people has been shaped by our evolutionary history. An evolutionary approach provides a powerful tool for understanding the consistency and diversity of mating preferences and behaviors across individuals and cultures. Keywords: evolutionary psychology, facial attractiveness, body configuration, voice, menstrual cycle, muscularity, body fat, dishonest signals A cursory glance at the women featured in popular men's magazines, such as Maxim or Playboy, suggests that men are attracted to young women with smooth skin, long soft hair, large eyes, slender bodies, long legs, curved hips, large pronounced breasts, rounded buttocks, and flat stomachs The pressure to be attractive can leave many people feeling dissatisfied with their appearance Why do so many people spend so much time, effort, and money on their appearance? Why do we find some people more attractive than others? If beauty is only skin deep, why should it matter how people look? What follows is a review of the science of sex appeal, targeting recent findings that illustrate the conceptual and heuristic value of an evolutionary perspective. 1 We first briefly outline how evolution shapes the way we process information about other people, and then focus on why we find certain faces, body types, and voices appealing. We show how an evolutionary perspective enables us to understand and predict ways that women's preferences for some of these traits shift across the menstrual cycle. We conclude with a discussion of how individuals have developed cultural and technological innovations to enhance certain aspects of their appearance. The Impact of Evolution It is important to understand that we do not experience the world or other people directly. Rather, our experience is a byproduct of sensory input acting on the nervous system. Our sensory receptors are evolved neurological mechanisms that convert mechanical, chemical, thermal, or electromagnetic energy into nerve impulses. These nerve impulses in turn activate evolved parts of the brain that translate these impulses into experience. The age-old question, "if a tree fell over in the woods and no one was there to hear it, would it make a noise?" has a clear and definitive answer from a neurobiological perspective. No doubt a felled tree would produce intense air borne vibrations, but in order to be "heard" or to make a "noise" these vibrations would have to impinge on an ear and trigger nerve impulses that activate relevant 1 In biological terms, traits that are more typical of women are considered "feminine" whereas traits that are more typical of males are considered "masculine." For example, testosterone "masculinizes" men's faces by making their jaws squarer, and estrogen "feminizes" women's faces by making their jaws more rounded
