Key concepts mate guarding, provisioning hypothesis, male parental investment, cryptic oestrus, sexual dimorphism, polygyny, polyandry, reproductive value, sperm competition, sexy sons, Coolidge effect

What does a man look for in a woman? What does a woman look for in a man? To put it more crudely, what criteria do people use when looking for a sexual partner? In chapter 3 we considered sexual selection theory, that is, how morphological and behavioural differences may have come about by enhancing reproductive success. In order to have reproductive success humans need to make decisions about mates. Received wisdom suggests that men and women differ in their predilections for partners. Women want generous, emotionally stable and dependable men, and men – well, men want sexy women. The question is, does the evidence fit with this common-sense view and, if so, where did these differences come from? In this chapter we use sexual selection theory and evidence from other primates to explore the notion of mate choice, its roots and its consequences.