e are a thinning of the cheeks and growth in lip size, which reaches a maximum at about 14.5 years of age (Turner, 1999). As females age, the concentration of estrogen decreases and the higher testosterone/estrogen ration causes the older female face to become masculinated. In addition, during pregnancy maternal bone formation rates are elevated which can cause permanent facial lengthening, the effect of which may be greater from carrying a male child due to the testosterone released by the fetus (Mestel, 1999) A female face that has not shown this bone growth and therefore retains many childlike features is indicating youth and/or a good estrogen/ testosterone balance, also signifying perhaps she has not yet borne many/any children. Males preferring such faces and mating with women with such faces would have left more offspring than males that preferred masculinated, older female faces. In this way, the preference for very young looking female faces would have spread through the population, resulting in it becoming a universal male preference (even in cultures that do not have a media saturated with images of young female faces!). Turner (1999) states that a study of female models showed that they had facial proportions typical of a 7-year-old girls, and that another study showed the most attractive faces created by males on the computer had facial proportions more typical of 11 year olds. Highly symmetrical faces (which are difficult to develop and maintain, therefore showing good genetic quality) are desirable in both sexes (Kalick, 1998).There are three important factors in creating a physically attractive body from a psychological and evolutionary standpoint: breasts, waist to hip ratio and muscle/fat placement. The development of breasts by sexually mature females is the most striking difference between male and female bodies. It is a unique feature to humans- other animals do not develop breasts until pregnancy. Human b...
