Abstract:
According to the “good genes” hypothesis, females choose males based on traits that
indicate the male’s genetic quality in terms of disease resistance. The
“immunocompetence handicap hypothesis (ICHH)” proposed that secondary sexual
traits serve as indicators of male genetic quality because they indicate that males can
contend with the immunosuppressive effects of testosterone. Masculinity is
commonly assumed to serve as such a secondary sexual trait. Yet women do not
consistently prefer masculine looking men, nor is masculinity consistently related to
health across studies. Here we show that adiposity, but not masculinity, significantly
mediates the relationship between a direct measure of immune response (Hepatitis B antibody response) and attractiveness for both body and facial measurements. In
addition, we show that circulating testosterone is more closely associated with
adiposity than masculinity. These findings indicate that adiposity, compared to
masculinity, serves as a more important cue to immunocompetence in female mate
choice.
