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Attractive men are found to have long...

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G

Gaborn

Member
PARIS (AFP) – The longer a man's fourth or ring finger is compared to his index finger, the more likely he is to be judged attractive by women, according to a study released Wednesday.

The results, published in the British Royal Society's journal Biological Sciences, unveil intricate links between foetal exposure of males to hormones, the development of certain physical traits, and what turns on the opposite sex.

It also adds to a growing body of research -- conducted under the banner of evolutionary psychology -- suggesting that the drivers of human behaviour are found, more than previously suspected, in "nature" rather than "nurture."

Earlier studies had already shown that the size ratio between the fourth and second fingers, especially of the right hand, is a reliable indicator of the extent a man was exposed to testosterone while still in the womb.

The bigger the gap between a longer ring finger and a shorter index, the greater the likely impact of the hormone.

For the new study, scientists led by Camille Ferdenzi of the University of Geneva designed an experiment to find out if women are drawn to the telltale signs of high testosterone levels in men -- a symmetrical face, a deeper voice, a particular body odour -- who have this more "masculine" finger configuration.

More than 80 women university students between 18 and 34 looked at pictures of 49 similarly aged men, and were asked to evaluate them for masculinity and attractiveness.

Smaller groups of women listened to recordings of the male voices, and smelled samples of their body odour, taken from cotton pads worn under the arm for 24 hours.

"The aim was to understand what makes a man attractive," and whether at least some of those qualities "were in part conditioned by the foetal environment," Ferdenzi said in an interview.

For the visual test, the results were unambiguous. "The longer the ring finger compared to the index -- that is, the greater the exposure to testosterone -- the more attractive the face was rated," she said by phone.

"We also found that attractiveness and symmetry in the face are highly correlated."

Such a preference might have evolved to boost a female's chances of reproductive success through mating with a more virile partner, she said.

Surprisingly, however, women did not consistently tag the same men as "masculine".
Nor did their preferences for voice or odours correspond to the longer ring-finger males.

"There wasn't any relation between the 2D-4D" -- 2nd digit, 4th digit -- "ratio and the reactions of the women to odour," Ferdenzi said.

One reason, she speculated, may be that voice and body odour are more dependent on fluctuating levels of adult testosterone than on pre-natal testosterone.

The ring-index finger ratio has also proven to be a useful indicator for gauging the risk of prostate cancer, likewise tied to high levels of testosterone.

Research published in December showed that the chances of developing the disease drop by a third in men whose index finger is longer than their ring finger.

Other studies have also found a link between exposure to hormones before birth and the development of other diseases, including breast cancer and osteoarthritis.
Click to expand...

Story Here
 
Oppo

Oppo

Member
I just noticed that my 2nd and 4th finger on my left (non dominant) hand are about equal, but on my right the 4th finger is about a centimetre longer. WEIRD.
 
T

The Lamp

Member
So longer ring finger means I'm attractive, symmetrical and favored, but puts me at a higher risk of prostate cancer?

Sounds good to me.
 
Kibbles

Kibbles

Member
PortTwo said:
I just noticed that my 2nd and 4th finger on my left (non dominant) hand are about equal, but on my right the 4th finger is about a centimetre longer. WEIRD.
Click to expand...
Same here. Does that mean we are only half attractive?
 
H

Haly

One day I realized that sadness is just another word for not enough coffee.
Ring longer than index on right hand, vice versa on left hand. Sadness.
 
Oppo

Oppo

Member
Halycon said:
Ring longer than index on right hand, vice versa on left hand. Sadness.
Click to expand...

I think we're ok, according to this:

Earlier studies had already shown that the size ratio between the fourth and second fingers, especially of the right hand, is a reliable indicator of the extent a man was exposed to testosterone while still in the womb.
Click to expand...

So, gettin' laid + prostate cancer for you. Woo!
 
B

besada

Banned
PortTwo said:
I just noticed that my 2nd and 4th finger on my left (non dominant) hand are about equal, but on my right the 4th finger is about a centimetre longer. WEIRD.
Click to expand...

I also have a significant difference between my left and right hand. Left is almost exactly the same, the right has about a 1.5cm difference. So much for symmetry.
 
D

Dali

Member
Using the photoshop cm ruler, I've got a 2cm difference. My ring finger on both hands is much longer than my index finger. What do I win?


The Lamp said:
So longer ring finger means I'm attractive, symmetrical and favored, but puts me at a higher risk of prostate cancer?

Sounds good to me.
Click to expand...
The light that burns twice as bright...
 
O

OpinionatedCyborg

Member
The 2D:4D ratio also predicts athletic ability. Pretty sure it predicts a male's gender as well. It actually correlates with a ton of different things. Science!
 
S

scar tissue

Banned
I'm a freak of nature, I guess (which would explain my forever-aloneness)
on the left hand, there's about 5-7mm difference, on the right hand there's only about 1mm at best
 
Davey Cakes

Davey Cakes

Member
Interesting. My ring and index fingers are about the same length. I've always considered those with differences to be freaks of nature.

Same thing with those who have longer second toes than big toes. *shudder*

But anyway, I wouldn't want people to get caught up in these sorts of studies. Again, my ring and index fingers are the same length and I have a loving girlfriend who thinks I'm extremely attractive and perfectly "masculine enough" for her. There isn't some scientific map that predicts the attractiveness/attraction ratio. A lot of it is context and connection.
 
B

BitchTits

Member
gay_finger_length_myth.jpg
 
S

SimleuqiR

Member
Welp...on my left hand the ring finger is slightly longer than my index finger. On my right hand the ring finger is like a full nail size longer and them some, compared to the index finger.

Never realized how much longer my ring finger is on my right hand. It is almost as long as my middle finger o_O
 
D

Dali

Member
Sickboy007 said:
That's strange because women seem to like my hands...they just didn't want to hurt my girly feelings!
Click to expand...
They may genuinely like them and wish they had girlie hands just like the girlie hand man they just met. Of course this says nothing about the hands of a man they want to sleep with.

bengraven said:
If a man has sausage fingers, he's obviously not going to get laid even before she sees his hands.
Click to expand...
Woo Hoo. More good news for me and my skeleton-like, reaper mitts.
 
S

Sol..

I am Wayne Brady.
1.2cm GODDAMN IM UGLY


SimleuqiR said:
Welp...on my left hand the ring finger is slightly longer than my index finger. On my right hand the ring finger is like a full nail size longer and them some, compared to the index finger.

Never realized how much longer my ring finger is on my right hand. It is almost as long as my middle finger o_O
Click to expand...

damn just noticed it's the same for me. On my right hand (miley) it's about 2cm. IM SEKSY
 
V

vas_a_morir

Banned
_695142_hands2_300.gif


I once saw a guy on the Daily Show who said men with "female (index longer than ring)" hands were far more likely to be homosexual. (The man who said it was a pro-gay rights geneticist, and a gay man, so he was dead serious)
 
C

Cloudius12

Member
PortTwo said:
I just noticed that my 2nd and 4th finger on my left (non dominant) hand are about equal, but on my right the 4th finger is about a centimetre longer. WEIRD.
Click to expand...
same except opposite.

If you put your hand over your other hand and compare the finger length it should be equal excluding the thumb and pinky of course.
 
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