Penis size interacts with body shape and height to influence male attractiveness.

ABSTRACT: Compelling evidence from many animal taxa indicates that male genitalia are often under postcopulatory sexual selection for characteristics that increase a male's relative fertilization success. There could, however, also be direct precopulatory female mate choice based on male genital traits. Before clothing, the nonretractable human penis would have been conspicuous to potential mates. This observation has generated suggestions that human penis size partly evolved because of female choice. Here we show, based upon female assessment of digitally projected life-size, computer-generated images, that penis size interacts with body shape and height to determine male sexual attractiveness. Positive linear selection was detected for penis size, but the marginal increase in attractiveness eventu

SUBMITTER: Mautz BS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3637716 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature