Evolution is the Root of the Cause for Women’s Sex Preferences

In honor of the holiday, don't be completely discouraged if the girl of your dreams didn't accept your request to be your Valentine. If her reasoning isn't completely based on your shortcomings, studies have shown that her sexual preferences vary during ovulation cycles.

And if she is currently ovulating, her preferences will err on the side of sexy characteristics, including men with masculine bodies, attractive facial features, dominant behavior and distinct aromas. UCLA researchers arrived at these conclusions after analyzing years of studies on a woman's sexual preference throughout the menstrual cycle.

Martie Haselton is a professor of psychology and communication studies at UCLA and is also the senior author of this study, which will be published in the February 24^th issue of Psychological Bulletin. Professor Haselton summed up the findings in layman's terms for those not privy to scientific parlance.

"On fertile days of the cycle women prefer the George Clooney type of guys, the sexy ones," she said in this USA Today article. "Whereas on the less fertile days of the cycle women prefer the partner that will be there for them potentially and help them care for their offspring, someone more stable."

This issue has been up for debate since the late 1990s when scholarly studies began to emerge on the subject. But since then it has been a relatively unanswered question, with various papers and studies not coinciding with the original belief that women's mate preferences shift at time of high fertility. Lead author Kelly Gildersleeve, a UCLA doctoral candidate in psychology, has teamed up with Professor Haselton to find an answer.

They have spent three years sifting through raw data from 50 previous studies and eventually inserted the selected data into a mathematical formula to statistically analyze the information. They have conducted scent studies and relationship studies to help further determine when and why women are fickle in their choosing of a man.

More of the study's answers can be found in this EurekAlert! article, but they will not be officially published until February 24^th.

And for all the men out there who might be more suitable for a woman's long terms needs, there's no need to worry. A woman's urge for masculine and "sexy" qualities only last for a few days, so that should be fairly manageable.