December 23, 2005
LONDON: Men who want to carve up the dancefloor should take a good look at their bodies before launching into a waltz or foxtrot in the hope of impressing a woman. Many species, including humans, are known to prefer mates with symmetrical features, which are thought to show good health, sound genes and a lack of parasites, all of which may enhance reproductive success.
The research indicates dancing ability could be another signal of these traits, helping people, particularly women, to choose an appropriate mate.
The findings, published in the latest edition of the journal Nature, suggest body symmetry is a particularly important means by which women select mates, which is in accordance with evolutionary theory. "In species where fathers invest less than do mothers in their offspring, females are expected to be more selective in mate choice, and males to invest more in courtship display," the researchers said.
"Thus, we predicted that degree of symmetry would more strongly correlate with male dance ability, and females would be better discriminators.
"Dance in Jamaica seems to show evidence of sexual selection and to reveal important information about the dancer."
Scientists have discovered that the best male dancers tend to have more symmetrical body features, in a study that suggests dancing ability may be sexually appealing because it conveys useful information about a man's physical fitness.