Who's the Daddy? Infidelity Favours Father-Son Facial Dissimilarity

TL;DR

This study finds that in line with evolutionary predictions, father-son facial similarity decreases as fathers' promiscuity increases, suggesting a biological mechanism for paternity assurance.

Contribution

It provides empirical evidence linking male promiscuity to reduced father-son facial similarity, supporting evolutionary theories of paternity and kin recognition.

Findings

Significant negative correlation between father-son facial similarity and paternal promiscuity.

Fathers' promiscuity scores explain 75% of variance in facial similarity.

Linear regression confirms the inverse relationship with p < 0.001.

Abstract

Evolutionary theory predicts that children fare better if they resemble their father. However, if a man is promiscuous then his children tend to be (unwittingly) raised within other families; such children should fare better if they do not resemble their father. This suggests that father-son facial similarity should decrease as a function of male promiscuity. To test this hypothesis, the degree of similarity between each of 37 pairs of father-son photographs was rated by 83 participants. The promiscuity score of a father was defined as the number of sexual relationships he had been involved in. A linear regression of father-son similarity ratings against fathers' promiscuity scores indicated that the slope of the fitted line was significantly less than zero (slope=-0.176, p < 0.001), and that fathers' promiscuity scores account for 75% of the variance father-son facial similarity ratings. Additionally, a significant negative non-parametric correlation (Spearman's rho rho=-0.886, p=0.019) between father-son similarity ratings and fathers' promiscuity scores was found.