Researchers say that evolution is making men sexier, as they are gaining height and weight at twice the rate women are.
The study published in the journal Biology Letters indicates that men are becoming increasingly “sexy and formidable,” suggesting that sexual dimorphism—defined as the physiological differences between males and females—is becoming more pronounced. Researchers propose that the increasing gender differences may be linked to enhanced quality of life in the contemporary era.
“With cross-national and cross-generational improvements in living conditions, where environmental stressors recede, men’s gains in height and weight are more than double those of women’s, increasing sexual size dimorphism,” said the researchers in the paper.
Men are becoming sexier thanks to evolution
Sexual dimorphism is present in nearly all forms of life on Earth. In certain animal species, males are larger than females, while in others, the reverse is true. These variations typically arise from female choice and the ensuing male competition. Additionally, dimorphism may serve as a survival strategy or an evolutionary adaptation, such as female camouflage for nesting purposes or male pregnancy in seahorses.
Humanity’s evolutionary gender differences come from the latter, as interspecies competition led to females preferring muscular men with better status within social structures.
“Consequently, this is why men assess the formidability of potential opponents using physical cues, such as upper body strength, and women find taller, muscular men with a relatively large overall body mass (but not obese) particularly attractive,” said the researchers.
The one problem with the evolutionary route men took is the increased resource requirement for maintaining the body. A larger, more muscular physique demands more calories for sustenance. In today’s world, this is less of a concern, contributing to the significant sexual dimorphism observed by researchers. Additionally, the reduced impact of diseases has further accelerated male growth
“Our cross-national analyses suggest that as the social and ecological conditions of nations improve, including reductions in overall disease burden, people’s height and weight increase, but more than twice as much in men as in women resulting in greater (sexual size dimorphism),” said the researchers.
The scientists concluded that human evolution responds sensitively to environmental factors, and as a result, sexual dimorphism is increasing. A safer environment fosters a developmental path where men enhance their capabilities and increase their attractiveness.
“Based on our main finding of (sexual size dimorphism) being greater in more favorable environments, it is clear that the development and maintenance of gross morphology is more sensitive to living conditions in men than in women, at least in terms of height and weight,” said the researchers.
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