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10 The Biology of Beauty include being more caring, more communicative, and more physically and emotionally supportive, rather than being more muscular, dominant, or ag- gressive. These more feminine males, therefore, have increased reproductive fitness, meaning that they are likely to pass on their genes to more children, including the genes for these more feminine traits, leading to a decrease in sexual dimorphism between males and females over evolutionary time. However, there are circumstances when a woman may be seeking a thrill and excitement outside of a long-term reproductive relationship. In these circumstances, she is more likely to be attracted to more masculine, domi- nant, and aggressive partners and is less interested in his propensity to invest in children. In this circumstance, women run the risk of conceiving a child with a man who may not stay to protect and provide for them, so the risk is great, and so, when selecting an aggressive partner, women tend to be partic- ularly choosy. As we will discuss later, short-term relationships or one-night stands may be particularly beneficial for a male because he can potentially pass on his genes without risking resources, but a one-night stand is particu- larly risky for a woman because she can become pregnant without a partner to help support her and her offspring. Thus, for women, relationships become a balancing act between selecting a fertile, masculine, unreliable partner or a caring, feminine, more supportive one. Research shows that the type of relationship a woman seeks and the risk she is willing to take actually vary predictably with her menstrual cycle, and choices are made based on sexu- ally dimorphic traits. Women at peak fertility, about two weeks after the last menses, are at the point where they are most likely to conceive a child, and prefer masculine men who carry strong masculine traits. At other points in their cycles, they prefer feminized males who will be caring, empathetic, and good providers. Youth Age is another major characteristic that significantly contributes to attrac- tiveness. Age is typically directly correlated with overall health and future reproductive potential. Because true age, health, and reproductive potential are not necessarily discernable to the eye, humans must rely on a myriad of traits and characteristics to give clues. David Buss, from the University of Texas, Austin, has demonstrated through his research that physical traits associated with youth that are typically considered to be attractive include characteristics like full lips, clear skin and eyes, shiny hair, toned muscles, and high energy. These traits are also highly correlated with health, and there- fore, youth and health tend to go hand in hand. Health can also be judged through the degree of symmetry and degree of sexual dimorphism (femininity vs. masculinity). As individuals age, lips tend to thin and wrinkles form,