Abstract
Studies of sexual selection acting on physical strength in humans have focused mostly on its role in premating male–male competition. Recent theoretical frameworks suggest that male strength could be subject to trade-offs with postmating sperm competitiveness. Here, we examined whether male strength is linked to ejaculate quality. We also asked whether strength is attractive to women and affects male self-reported mating success. Perceived strength was negatively associated with ejaculate quality as predicted by the trade-off hypothesis. Perceived strength positively predicted attractiveness and both perceived strength and attractiveness shared similar variance in predicting self-reported mating success. Our findings indicate that despite the benefits to premating sexual selection, having greater strength may come at a cost to sperm competitiveness.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 191-197 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Animal Behaviour |
| Volume | 142 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Aug 2018 |
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Perceived physical strength in men is attractive to women but may come at a cost to ejaculate quality. / Foo, Yong Zhi; Simmons, Leigh W.; Peters, Marianne; Rhodes, Gillian.
In: Animal Behaviour, Vol. 142, 01.08.2018, p. 191-197.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Perceived physical strength in men is attractive to women but may come at a cost to ejaculate quality
AU - Foo, Yong Zhi
AU - Simmons, Leigh W.
AU - Peters, Marianne
AU - Rhodes, Gillian
PY - 2018/8/1
Y1 - 2018/8/1
N2 - Studies of sexual selection acting on physical strength in humans have focused mostly on its role in premating male–male competition. Recent theoretical frameworks suggest that male strength could be subject to trade-offs with postmating sperm competitiveness. Here, we examined whether male strength is linked to ejaculate quality. We also asked whether strength is attractive to women and affects male self-reported mating success. Perceived strength was negatively associated with ejaculate quality as predicted by the trade-off hypothesis. Perceived strength positively predicted attractiveness and both perceived strength and attractiveness shared similar variance in predicting self-reported mating success. Our findings indicate that despite the benefits to premating sexual selection, having greater strength may come at a cost to sperm competitiveness.
AB - Studies of sexual selection acting on physical strength in humans have focused mostly on its role in premating male–male competition. Recent theoretical frameworks suggest that male strength could be subject to trade-offs with postmating sperm competitiveness. Here, we examined whether male strength is linked to ejaculate quality. We also asked whether strength is attractive to women and affects male self-reported mating success. Perceived strength was negatively associated with ejaculate quality as predicted by the trade-off hypothesis. Perceived strength positively predicted attractiveness and both perceived strength and attractiveness shared similar variance in predicting self-reported mating success. Our findings indicate that despite the benefits to premating sexual selection, having greater strength may come at a cost to sperm competitiveness.
KW - female choice
KW - physical strength
KW - sexual selection
KW - sperm competition
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85050162938&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.06.019
DO - 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.06.019
M3 - Article
VL - 142
SP - 191
EP - 197
JO - Animal Behaviour
JF - Animal Behaviour
SN - 0003-3472
ER -