No Cover Image

Journal article 121 views 95 downloads

Updating evidence on facial metrics: A Bayesian perspective on sexual dimorphism in facial width-to-height ratio and bizygomatic width

Alex Jones Orcid Logo, Tobias L. Kordsmeyer, Robin S.S. Kramer, Julia Stern, Lars Penke

Evolution and Human Behavior, Volume: 46, Issue: 6, Start page: 106781

Swansea University Author: Alex Jones Orcid Logo

  • 70584.VOR.pdf

    PDF | Version of Record

    © 2025 The Authors. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons CC-BY license.

    Download (2.17MB)

Check full text

DOI (Published version): 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2025.106781

Abstract

Facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR) is an extensively studied morphological measure, which was presumably shaped by sexual selection and has been linked to a wide range of perceptual and physiological traits. Underpinning these associations is the premise that fWHR is larger in men, which empiricall...

Full description

Published in: Evolution and Human Behavior
ISSN: 1090-5138 1879-0607
Published: Elsevier BV 2025
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70584
first_indexed 2025-10-06T15:30:57Z
last_indexed 2025-11-07T05:10:08Z
id cronfa70584
recordtype SURis
fullrecord <?xml version="1.0"?><rfc1807><datestamp>2025-11-05T14:26:24.7138236</datestamp><bib-version>v2</bib-version><id>70584</id><entry>2025-10-06</entry><title>Updating evidence on facial metrics: A Bayesian perspective on sexual dimorphism in facial width-to-height ratio and bizygomatic width</title><swanseaauthors><author><sid>a24e1e2a89b0a9120fe03b481a629edd</sid><ORCID>0000-0003-3600-3644</ORCID><firstname>Alex</firstname><surname>Jones</surname><name>Alex Jones</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>false</ethesisStudent></author></swanseaauthors><date>2025-10-06</date><deptcode>PSYS</deptcode><abstract>Facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR) is an extensively studied morphological measure, which was presumably shaped by sexual selection and has been linked to a wide range of perceptual and physiological traits. Underpinning these associations is the premise that fWHR is larger in men, which empirically exhibits a mixed and equivocal pattern in the literature due to variation in measurement, large sample sizes revealing small but significant differences, and a lack of control of body size. In Study 1, in a sample of 1949 faces, we used a Bayesian hierarchical model that incorporates prior information to simultaneously estimate sexual dimorphism in fWHR, adjusted for body size, across five measurement types. While we found larger fWHR in women, comparing this effect to variability in fWHR due to image capture settings revealed no robust evidence of sex differences in fWHR. In Study 2, we investigated sex differences in facial width specifically (also adjusted for body size), again incorporating prior information, and confirmed men have greater face width than women. Advances in this area can be made by shifting focus away from arbitrary ratios like fWHR to direct measures like facial width &#x2013; as well as carefully considering prior evidence of existing associations.</abstract><type>Journal Article</type><journal>Evolution and Human Behavior</journal><volume>46</volume><journalNumber>6</journalNumber><paginationStart>106781</paginationStart><paginationEnd/><publisher>Elsevier BV</publisher><placeOfPublication/><isbnPrint/><isbnElectronic/><issnPrint>1090-5138</issnPrint><issnElectronic>1879-0607</issnElectronic><keywords>Facial-width-to-height; Sexual dimorphism; Bayesian inference; Statistical modelling</keywords><publishedDay>1</publishedDay><publishedMonth>11</publishedMonth><publishedYear>2025</publishedYear><publishedDate>2025-11-01</publishedDate><doi>10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2025.106781</doi><url/><notes/><college>COLLEGE NANME</college><department>Psychology School</department><CollegeCode>COLLEGE CODE</CollegeCode><DepartmentCode>PSYS</DepartmentCode><institution>Swansea University</institution><apcterm>SU Library paid the OA fee (TA Institutional Deal)</apcterm><funders>Swansea University</funders><projectreference/><lastEdited>2025-11-05T14:26:24.7138236</lastEdited><Created>2025-10-06T16:28:54.6438092</Created><path><level id="1">Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences</level><level id="2">School of Psychology</level></path><authors><author><firstname>Alex</firstname><surname>Jones</surname><orcid>0000-0003-3600-3644</orcid><order>1</order></author><author><firstname>Tobias L.</firstname><surname>Kordsmeyer</surname><order>2</order></author><author><firstname>Robin S.S.</firstname><surname>Kramer</surname><order>3</order></author><author><firstname>Julia</firstname><surname>Stern</surname><order>4</order></author><author><firstname>Lars</firstname><surname>Penke</surname><order>5</order></author></authors><documents><document><filename>70584__35563__7c4f1e9876aa42d59f0965234669f220.pdf</filename><originalFilename>70584.VOR.pdf</originalFilename><uploaded>2025-11-05T14:23:05.2759481</uploaded><type>Output</type><contentLength>2279293</contentLength><contentType>application/pdf</contentType><version>Version of Record</version><cronfaStatus>true</cronfaStatus><documentNotes>&#xA9; 2025 The Authors. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons CC-BY license.</documentNotes><copyrightCorrect>true</copyrightCorrect><language>eng</language><licence>http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</licence></document></documents><OutputDurs/></rfc1807>
spelling 2025-11-05T14:26:24.7138236 v2 70584 2025-10-06 Updating evidence on facial metrics: A Bayesian perspective on sexual dimorphism in facial width-to-height ratio and bizygomatic width a24e1e2a89b0a9120fe03b481a629edd 0000-0003-3600-3644 Alex Jones Alex Jones true false 2025-10-06 PSYS Facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR) is an extensively studied morphological measure, which was presumably shaped by sexual selection and has been linked to a wide range of perceptual and physiological traits. Underpinning these associations is the premise that fWHR is larger in men, which empirically exhibits a mixed and equivocal pattern in the literature due to variation in measurement, large sample sizes revealing small but significant differences, and a lack of control of body size. In Study 1, in a sample of 1949 faces, we used a Bayesian hierarchical model that incorporates prior information to simultaneously estimate sexual dimorphism in fWHR, adjusted for body size, across five measurement types. While we found larger fWHR in women, comparing this effect to variability in fWHR due to image capture settings revealed no robust evidence of sex differences in fWHR. In Study 2, we investigated sex differences in facial width specifically (also adjusted for body size), again incorporating prior information, and confirmed men have greater face width than women. Advances in this area can be made by shifting focus away from arbitrary ratios like fWHR to direct measures like facial width – as well as carefully considering prior evidence of existing associations. Journal Article Evolution and Human Behavior 46 6 106781 Elsevier BV 1090-5138 1879-0607 Facial-width-to-height; Sexual dimorphism; Bayesian inference; Statistical modelling 1 11 2025 2025-11-01 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2025.106781 COLLEGE NANME Psychology School COLLEGE CODE PSYS Swansea University SU Library paid the OA fee (TA Institutional Deal) Swansea University 2025-11-05T14:26:24.7138236 2025-10-06T16:28:54.6438092 Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences School of Psychology Alex Jones 0000-0003-3600-3644 1 Tobias L. Kordsmeyer 2 Robin S.S. Kramer 3 Julia Stern 4 Lars Penke 5 70584__35563__7c4f1e9876aa42d59f0965234669f220.pdf 70584.VOR.pdf 2025-11-05T14:23:05.2759481 Output 2279293 application/pdf Version of Record true © 2025 The Authors. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons CC-BY license. true eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title Updating evidence on facial metrics: A Bayesian perspective on sexual dimorphism in facial width-to-height ratio and bizygomatic width
spellingShingle Updating evidence on facial metrics: A Bayesian perspective on sexual dimorphism in facial width-to-height ratio and bizygomatic width
Alex Jones
title_short Updating evidence on facial metrics: A Bayesian perspective on sexual dimorphism in facial width-to-height ratio and bizygomatic width
title_full Updating evidence on facial metrics: A Bayesian perspective on sexual dimorphism in facial width-to-height ratio and bizygomatic width
title_fullStr Updating evidence on facial metrics: A Bayesian perspective on sexual dimorphism in facial width-to-height ratio and bizygomatic width
title_full_unstemmed Updating evidence on facial metrics: A Bayesian perspective on sexual dimorphism in facial width-to-height ratio and bizygomatic width
title_sort Updating evidence on facial metrics: A Bayesian perspective on sexual dimorphism in facial width-to-height ratio and bizygomatic width
author_id_str_mv a24e1e2a89b0a9120fe03b481a629edd
author_id_fullname_str_mv a24e1e2a89b0a9120fe03b481a629edd_***_Alex Jones
author Alex Jones
author2 Alex Jones
Tobias L. Kordsmeyer
Robin S.S. Kramer
Julia Stern
Lars Penke
format Journal article
container_title Evolution and Human Behavior
container_volume 46
container_issue 6
container_start_page 106781
publishDate 2025
institution Swansea University
issn 1090-5138
1879-0607
doi_str_mv 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2025.106781
publisher Elsevier BV
college_str Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
department_str School of Psychology{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Psychology
document_store_str 1
active_str 0
description Facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR) is an extensively studied morphological measure, which was presumably shaped by sexual selection and has been linked to a wide range of perceptual and physiological traits. Underpinning these associations is the premise that fWHR is larger in men, which empirically exhibits a mixed and equivocal pattern in the literature due to variation in measurement, large sample sizes revealing small but significant differences, and a lack of control of body size. In Study 1, in a sample of 1949 faces, we used a Bayesian hierarchical model that incorporates prior information to simultaneously estimate sexual dimorphism in fWHR, adjusted for body size, across five measurement types. While we found larger fWHR in women, comparing this effect to variability in fWHR due to image capture settings revealed no robust evidence of sex differences in fWHR. In Study 2, we investigated sex differences in facial width specifically (also adjusted for body size), again incorporating prior information, and confirmed men have greater face width than women. Advances in this area can be made by shifting focus away from arbitrary ratios like fWHR to direct measures like facial width – as well as carefully considering prior evidence of existing associations.
published_date 2025-11-01T18:08:42Z
_version_ 1850692729015631872
score 11.08899

Similar Items