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Do capuchin monkeys (Sapajus apella) prefer symmetrical face shapes?

Paukner, A; Wooddell, LJ; Lefevre, CE; Lonsdorf, E; Lonsdorf, E; (2017) Do capuchin monkeys (Sapajus apella) prefer symmetrical face shapes? Journal of Comparative Psychology , 131 (1) pp. 73-77. 10.1037/com0000052. Green open access

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Abstract

In humans, facial symmetry has been linked to an individual's genetic quality, and facial symmetry has a small yet significant effect on ratings of facial attractiveness. The same evolutionary processes underlying these phenomena may also convey a selective advantage to symmetrical individuals of other primate species, yet to date, few studies have examined sensitivity to facial symmetry in nonhuman primates. Here we presented images of symmetrical and asymmetrical human and monkey faces to tufted capuchin monkeys (Sapajus apella) and hypothesized that capuchins would visually prefer symmetrical faces of opposite-sex conspecifics. Instead, we found that male capuchins preferentially attended to symmetrical male conspecific faces, whereas female capuchins did not appear to discriminate between symmetrical and asymmetrical faces. These results suggest that male capuchin monkeys may use facial symmetry to judge male quality in intramale competition. (PsycINFO Database Record

Type: Article
Title: Do capuchin monkeys (Sapajus apella) prefer symmetrical face shapes?
Location: United States
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1037/com0000052
Publisher version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/com0000052
Language: English
Additional information: This article may not exactly replicate the authoritative document published in the APA journal. It is not the copy of record
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences > Clinical, Edu and Hlth Psychology
URI: https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1542329
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