Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026
09:29
Skeletal Muscle Gender Dimorphism from Proteomics
Published on: December 14, 2011
Dance reveals symmetry especially in young men
William M Brown1, Lee Cronk, Keith Grochow
1Center for Human Evolutionary Studies, Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, 131 George Street, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901-1414, USA. wmbrown@rci.rutgers.edu
Nature
|December 24, 2005
Summary
Dancing ability is linked to bodily symmetry, a marker of developmental stability. This study found symmetrical individuals, particularly men, are better dancers, suggesting dance reveals genetic quality during courtship.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Behavioral ecology
- Human evolution
Background:
- Dance plays a role in courtship across species, yet its connection to dancer quality is unknown.
- Bodily symmetry, specifically fluctuating asymmetry (FA), is a key indicator of developmental stability and overall quality in evolutionary studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if dance quality reflects an individual's fluctuating asymmetry (FA).
- To determine if this association differs between male and female dancers.
- To explore how symmetry influences mate preferences in the context of dance.
Main Methods:
- Utilized motion-capture technology to create dance videos, isolating movement from physical appearance.
- Assessed dancing ability from these videos within a Jamaican population known for its cultural emphasis on dance.
- Correlated participants' dancing ability ratings with their measured levels of fluctuating asymmetry (FA).
Main Results:
- A significant positive correlation was found between bodily symmetry and perceived dancing ability.
- This association was stronger for male dancers compared to female dancers.
- Women rated symmetrical men's dancing more favorably; symmetrical men showed a greater preference for symmetry in female dancers.
Conclusions:
- Dance quality appears to be an honest signal of developmental stability and genetic quality.
- These findings suggest dance is influenced by sexual selection, revealing important information about the dancer's underlying quality.
- The study highlights the role of dance in mate choice and signaling in human courtship.
Related Concept Videos
01:07Symmetric Member in Bending
In the study of the mechanics of materials, analyzing the behavior of prismatic members under opposing couples is crucial for understanding internal stress distributions, which are essential for structural design. When subjected to couples, a prismatic member experiences internal forces that maintain equilibrium. A couple, characterized by two equal and opposite forces, creates a moment but no resultant force. The internal forces at any section cut of the member must balance these external...
01:18Deformations in a Symmetric Member in Bending
When analyzing the deformation of a symmetric prismatic member subjected to bending by equal and opposite couples, it becomes clear that as the member bends, the originally straight lines on its wider faces curve into circular arcs, with a constant radius centered at a point known as Point C. This phenomenon helps to understand the stress and strain distribution within the member more clearly.
When the member is segmented into tiny cubic elements, it is observed that the primary stress...
When the member is segmented into tiny cubic elements, it is observed that the primary stress...
01:18Unsymmetric Bending
Unsymmetrical bending occurs when the bending moment applied to a structural member does not align with its principal axis. This misalignment leads to complex stress distributions and deflection patterns that differ from those in symmetrical bending, and are essential for designing structures to withstand different loading conditions. In unsymmetrical bending, the neutral axis—where stress is zero—does not necessarily align with the geometric axes of the cross-section. The orientation of the...
01:27Symmetry Elements in a Crystal
Crystal symmetry operations are isometric transformations that map objects onto indistinguishable copies while preserving distances, angles, and volumes. The simplest symmetry operation is translation, which shifts the entire infinite crystal lattice parallelly by a translation vector.Crystallographic rotations involve rotations by an angle of 2π/n around an axis without changing the positions of points on the axis. It is called the rotational axis of the symmetry, denoted by n. The combination...
01:27Signs of Puberty
Puberty is a critical phase, typically beginning between the ages of 8 and 13 in girls and 9 and 14 in boys, though timing can vary based on genetics, environmental factors, and overall health. This period is characterized by the development of secondary sexual characteristics and the attainment of reproductive potential. Endocrine changes underpin puberty, with hormonal surges of Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) instigated by Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH)...
01:26Symmetry
The equation of an ellipse centered at the origin defines all points whose distances from the center maintain a constant ratio between the horizontal and vertical axes. This equation results in a smooth, closed curve that extends further along the x-axis than the y-axis, giving it a horizontal orientation. Such an ellipse demonstrates three kinds of symmetry: across the x-axis, across the y-axis, and about the origin. These symmetries are essential in understanding the graph's structure and...