Men with round faces 145;are more aggressive146;: Study

According to researchers, the shape of the face may have been honed by evolution as a marker of the propensity for aggressive behaviour though our ancestors did not pick up this warning sign.

8220;Our findings suggest that people can make accurate inferences about others8217; personality traits and behavioural dispositions based on certain signals conveyed by the face,8221; lead researcher Prof Cheryl McCormick said.

Prof McCormick of Brock University and colleagues have based their findings on an analysis of the aggression levels of 90 sportsmen, 8216;The Daily Telegraph8217; reported.

For male varsity and professional hockey players, the facial ratio was linked in a statistically significant way with the number of penalty minutes per game 8212; the penalties were incurred by players for violent acts including slashing, elbowing, fighting and so on.

However, there was not a link between facial shape and aggression in women, the study found.

8220;The facial structure of a man provides an indication of how aggressive he will be in a competitive situation. So, we are able to predict, with some accuracy, the behaviour of men on the basis of their facial features.

8220;If men8217;s faces are providing cues as to their potential for aggression, then likely people are probably picking up on this cue, although likely on a subconscious level,8221; Prof McCormick said.

The findings of the study have been published in the latest issue of 8216;Proceedings of the Royal Society: Biological Sciences8217; journal.