The Impact and Importance of Height on Mate Selection

"I argue that practices such as arranged marriages and political disenfranchisement of women, which were common in Europe until late 19th century, suppressed the effect of sexual selection for height. However, as European cultures became more socially progressive, sexual equality increased, allowing innate mate selection preferences to be expressed more fully. I use a cultural historical analysis and population genetics modeling to show that, in three European countries, average height increased rapidly after cultural changes that led to greater freedom in female mate selection, and that the rate and degree of height increase fits well what would be expected from a sexual selection process. "

"From a genetic perspective height is an important signal of good genes. Taller men have been found to live longer than their shorter counter parts. This powerful combination of social and genetic advantages for the children of taller men provides a strong basis for expecting positive sexual selection pressure for height in humans. Sexual selection for height has been well documented in a host of cultures. This female preference for taller mates can also be observed across a range of cultures the hypothesis that it is an evolved psychological trait. This preference has ramifications in the quality and quantity of mates a male might have as well. Taller men are found to have ― prettier girlfriends, as defined by feminine characteristics such as desirable hip-to-waist ratios and skin quality. Taller men also have more long term and short term mates and have sex at earlier ages and later into life. Women’s preference for tall mates also increases during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, when the probability of conception is greatest, which also argues for the adaptive origin of this preference. Finally, infidelity studies have found that when a woman cheats she is more likely to do so with a mate who is taller than her current partner. Consistent with the theory of sexual selection for height, taller men have been found to have more offspring than shorter men. There is also evidence that taller men are more likely to have long term mating partners and to have more partners than shorter men. This reproductive success provides evidence of a directional selection pressure for male height."