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Dr. Kim Mulvihill ReportingWhat are women really looking for in a mate? Sense of humor, good looks? Your guess is as good as mine. A new study says women know it when they see it in a photograph.
A picture tells a thousand words, and looking at a man's face may tell a woman a lot more than she imagines. New research suggests women can accurately determine which men are the most virile, and which ones will make the best dads, just by looking at a photograph.
Researchers photographed the faces of nearly forty men, measured their testosterone levels, and found out which ones wanted to start a family. Then women were shown those photographs and asked to point out which ones were the most attractive for a long-term relationship.
And whom did they choose? They picked the men who not only had lots of testosterone, but who also like kids the most.
Experts say women are actually tracking very interesting subtle, even unconscious cues from men and men's faces as to what would make a good mate, long-term versus short-term. And the results are not what most would expect.
You would think the guy with the high testosterone would be the guys great for a short-term fling; however, in this study the guys with the high testosterone are those who are interested in fathering children and are interested in babies.