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Symmetry and humans: reply to Mithen's ‘Sexy Handaxe Theory’

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Derek Hodgson
Derek Hodgson*
Affiliation:
*2 Belle Vue Street, York, YO10 5AY, UK (Email: [email protected])
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Extract

In reply to Machin's criticism of Kohn and Mithen's (1999) 'Sexy Handaxe Theory' in a recent Antiquity debate (Machin 2008: 761-6), Mithen (2008: 766-9) states that sexual selection is still relevant to the symmetry of Acheulean handaxes because this provides the only theory that can account for the various features typical of such artefacts. This conclusion may be misconceived, however, due to the conflation of the various factors relating to symmetry, attractiveness, and health. Crucially, recent studies have not found a genetic link based on sexual selection for physical traits based on symmetry. For example, Koehler et al. (2002) established that there was no difference in preference for the symmetry of male faces by females nearing conception compared to those females taking contraceptives. Similarly, Rhodes et al. (2001) found that, although there might be a link between facial symmetry and perceived health, there was no correlation between facial symmetry and actual health.

Type
Debate
Information
Antiquity , Volume 83 , Issue 319 , March 2009 , pp. 195 - 198
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd 2009

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