Here we show that changes in hormone levels during menopause affect women's attractiveness judgments.

Post-menopausal women demonstrated stronger preferences for femininity in women's faces than pre-menopausal women did.

Since feminine women are generally judged to be particularly attractive by others, weaker preferences for feminine women in the pre-menopausal group may reflect such women perceiving themselves to be in more direct competition for mates with attractive, feminine women.

Derogating the attractiveness of feminine competitors in this way may increase the likelihood of pre-menopausal women attracting high quality mates.

Royal Society Journal Biology Letters

Biology Letters publishes short, innovative and cutting-edge research articles and opinion pieces accessible to scientists from across the biological sciences. The journal is characterised by stringent peer-review, rapid publication and broad dissemination of succinct high-quality research communications.

Biology Letters