The survey found men with strong masculine traits are likely to produce similarly macho sons, but macho sons are not considered especially attractive.
Some believe females can increase their reproductive success by choosing ‘sexy’ mates, whose genes are passed on to male offspring, making them attractive to females.
The hypothesis presumes that masculinity underlies male allure. However, the research at St Andrews contradicts this and found that attractive fathers and mothers do not necessarily produce facially attractive sons.
"We checked to see if male and female facial traits are inherited," he added.
The research is published in the journal Animal Behaviour.
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