Worried about catching the sniffles? There's a chance that cold may sway your mate preference, suggests a new study showing that women with disease on their minds were more interested in masculine-looking men.

The finding reveals the balancing act women must play in the mating game, choosing between devoted dads, who tend to have less masculine features, and guys with good genes, who tend to have manlier traits. And environment plays a role, it seems, in which way she's swayed.

"Women are able to perceive the environment around them and are able to shift their mate preferences accordingly," study researcher Anthony Lee, of the University of Queensland, told LiveScience. "It's not a conscious decision ... women have evolved these flexible preferences and they are able to pick up on these cues."

When faced with the idea of infectious disease, women are more willing to invest in traits related to good genetics in mates, presumably as a way to help ensure healthy offspring. When faced with the idea of scarce resources, she favors good-dad traits, signs a man will stick around and help provide for their family.

Genetic trade-off

Good-gene and good-dad traits aren't all mutually exclusive. But past research has shown that males with high testosterone are more likely than more feminine guys to have a healthy immune system and other good genetic qualities that tend to make them worse dads: They are more likely to have shorter, less committed relationships. "It is a trade-off," Lee said. "Men with higher testosterone levels have better immune functioning, indicative of genetic quality, but tend to make poor parents, poor dads."

Signals like wide shoulders and a strong jaw line indicate these high levels of testosterone. These along with other traits, like intelligence and creativity, signal he has good genes.

"Previous research has shown that women in countries with higher pathogen prevalence show preference for masculine men, which is supposed to be indicative of genetic quality," Lee said. These traits will help his offspring survive in an area with high levels of disease. In other areas, where resources like food and land might be harder to come by, women prefer providers who will stick around.

[edited for compliance]

Whole story here;

http://news.yahoo.com/s/l...2h0c29mZGk

[Edited 6/22/11 11:38am]

I'm almost never sick - and I love manly men.

And I know a lot of manly men who are great dads.

Watch everyone on here claim they're the exception to the rule. Some will even claim this is complete bullshit.

What makes you think it isn't bullshit?

Genesia said:

What makes you think it isn't bullshit?

Well Genesia, someone got an article published so it MUST be true!

tinaz said:

Genesia said:

What makes you think it isn't bullshit?

Well Genesia, someone got an article published so it MUST be true!

Silly me.

Genesia said:

tinaz said:

Well Genesia, someone got an article published so it MUST be true!

Silly me.

Genesia said:

What makes you think it isn't bullshit?

That's not even my point. People always do this even if they haven't read the article as published or have any scientific background. Most people can't even get through the fucking abstract.

There's a bit more to the study (which is why I provided the link).

But it's an interesting theory that makes sense...worries about illness drive you towards a healthier mate, while worries about resources (food, shelter) drive you towards a more reliable mate.

Obviously it's not meant to paint the whole human race with one brushstroke...but all-&-all it's an interesting theory.

I want the butch dude to fix things around my house and the soft dude to fix me chicken soup when I get sick.

These studies don't make sense. I thought it was common knowledge. Honestly it don't matter how "manly" or "effeminate" the man looks. Just as LONG as he takes care of you. That shows you strength regardless of how you act, am I right? Seriously people making these studies... why?

Timmy84 said:

These studies don't make sense. I thought it was common knowledge. Honestly it don't matter how "manly" or "effeminate" the man looks. Just as LONG as he takes care of you. That shows you strength regardless of how you act, am I right? Seriously people making these studies... why?

Only if he's bringing home that paper and working that dick every night! People say men are simple creatures....so are women.

HotGritz said:

Timmy84 said:

These studies don't make sense. I thought it was common knowledge. Honestly it don't matter how "manly" or "effeminate" the man looks. Just as LONG as he takes care of you. That shows you strength regardless of how you act, am I right? Seriously people making these studies... why?

Only if he's bringing home that paper and working that dick every night! People say men are simple creatures....so are women.

IF it really were that simple, we wouldn't have 3,000 years' worth of sad love songs in humankind's collective memory!

PurpleJedi said:

HotGritz said:

Only if he's bringing home that paper and working that dick every night! People say men are simple creatures....so are women.

IF it really were that simple, we wouldn't have 3,000 years' worth of sad love songs in humankind's collective memory!

Because people just make shit more complicated.

Timmy84 said:

PurpleJedi said:

IF it really were that simple, we wouldn't have 3,000 years' worth of sad love songs in humankind's collective memory!

Because people just make shit more complicated.

I've discovered that a good 80% of the music on Latin radio has to do with heartbreak or love lost.

Seriously! No joke, can't bring myself to tune in most of the time. WTF?

PurpleJedi said:

Timmy84 said:

Because people just make shit more complicated.

I've discovered that a good 80% of the music on Latin radio has to do with heartbreak or love lost.

Seriously! No joke, can't bring myself to tune in most of the time. WTF?

Wow really? And I thought R&B had it bad!

LET'S JUST KISS AND SAY....GOODBYE

Timmy84 said:

PurpleJedi said:

I've discovered that a good 80% of the music on Latin radio has to do with heartbreak or love lost.

Seriously! No joke, can't bring myself to tune in most of the time. WTF?

Wow really? And I thought R&B had it bad!

Forget about the "soft" spanish music (that's a good 90% heartbreaking)...but even most of the dance music (salsa, reggaeton, etc.) is mostly all about loving someone who doesn't love you or who left you.

PurpleJedi said:

Timmy84 said:

Wow really? And I thought R&B had it bad!

Forget about the "soft" spanish music (that's a good 90% heartbreaking)...but even most of the dance music (salsa, reggaeton, etc.) is mostly all about loving someone who doesn't love you or who left you.

Damn lol I didn't even NOTICE that.

HotGritz said:

LET'S JUST KISS AND SAY....GOODBYE

Timmy84 said:

PurpleJedi said:

Forget about the "soft" spanish music (that's a good 90% heartbreaking)...but even most of the dance music (salsa, reggaeton, etc.) is mostly all about loving someone who doesn't love you or who left you.

Damn lol I didn't even NOTICE that.

Yeah usually you're busy moving your feet to the rhythm.

It's only when that hot poker is sizzling in your chest that you become aware of it!

PurpleJedi said:

Timmy84 said:

Damn lol I didn't even NOTICE that.

Yeah usually you're busy moving your feet to the rhythm.

It's only when that hot poker is sizzling in your chest that you become aware of it!

I'm gonna be very suspicious of Latin songs now...

The same is true in the gay world. I go after those manly hairy men and I've outlived most of those other whores my age so manly men must be more healthy.

PurpleJedi said:

HotGritz said:

LET'S JUST KISS AND SAY....GOODBYE

Although we've come...to the end of the road

Still I can't let you go

It's unnatural, you belong to me..I belong to you

HotGritz said:

PurpleJedi said:

Although we've come...to the end of the road

Still I can't let you go

It's unnatural, you belong to me..I belong to you

Aww see...now you're just bein' EVIL!

vainandy said:

The same is true in the gay world. I go after those manly hairy men and I've outlived most of those other whores my age so manly men must be more healthy.

vainandy said:

The same is true in the gay world. I go after those manly hairy men and I've outlived most of those other whores my age so manly men must be more healthy.

Andy you are crazy I tell ya.....RIGHT CRAZY!!!!!

Genesia said:

I'm almost never sick - and I love manly men.

And I know a lot of manly men who are great dads.

I haven't read the article, but I am assuming they aren't talking about common cold? I'm imagining within cultures with high incidences of HIV, TB, malaria, etc. That if your lifespan is likely shortened by infectious disease, you pick a mate with stronger genes to ensure your progeny lives long enough to reproduce etc.

Same theories as those used in the article suggest women will marry the non-manly stick around guy and have affairs with manly ones. Experiments have revealed women prefer men with more manly (higher testosterone) characteristics in men around the time they ovulate. The conclusion to this one was that sometimes the life-mate doesn't always have the genes you want to pass on to your offspring. Your kids may not be your own, guys!!!

ZombieKitten said:

Same theories as those used in the article suggest women will marry the non-manly stick around guy and have affairs with manly ones. Experiments have revealed women prefer men with more manly (higher testosterone) characteristics in men around the time they ovulate. The conclusion to this one was that sometimes the life-mate doesn't always have the genes you want to pass on to your offspring. Your kids may not be your own, guys!!!

and we know women like these lumbering oafs, why do nerds try to betray their own kind with these studies?!?!