Altruism linked to sex appeal, finds study

A group of researchers led by Tim Phillips at the British University of Nottingham discovered that women place significantly greater importance on altruistic traits than anything else.

Participants in the studies were questioned about a range of qualities they look for in a mate, including examples of altruistic behaviour such as 8216;donates blood regularly8217; and 8216;volunteered to help out in a local hospital.8217; Women placed significantly greater importance on altruistic traits in all three studies. Yet both sexes may consider altruistic traits when choosing a partner. One hundred and seventy couples were asked to rate how much they preferred altruistic traits in a mate and report their own level of altruistic behaviour.

The strength of preference in one partner was found to correlate with the extent of altruistic behaviour typically displayed in the other, suggesting that altruistic traits may well be a factor both men and women take into account when choosing a partner, the Science Daily online reported.

8220;Sexual selection could well come to be seen as exerting a major influence on what made humans human,8221; Phillips concluded.

Tom Reader at the School of Biology said 8220;sexual preferences have enormous potential to shape the evolution of animal behaviour8221;.

8220;Humans are clearly not an exception: sex may have a crucial role in explaining what are our most biologically interesting and unusual habits, he stressed.