Thursday, 13 January, 2000, 08:30 GMT
Tall guys get the girls
Stand out in a crowd: Finding a mate can be tricky
What vertically-challenged men have always feared seems to be borne out by scientific research.
Women want a tall man because those extra centimetres suggest he either has good genes or comes from a wealthy background, new research claims.
If a chap is five feet, 11 and a half, you can be sure he will put down six feet on his form
Mary Balfour, Manchester dating agency
Females might say they are attracted to a fellow with a good sense of humour and boyish charms, but dig deeper into their animal instincts and it seems their subconscious pushes them towards the most suitable mate, who will protect them and their children.
This analysis is based on the medical records of nearly 4,500 Polish men aged between 25 and 60.
Once the researchers had removed individuals who might skew the results, they found that childless men were on average three centimetres (1.25 inches) shorter than men who had fathered at least one child.
Little choice
The sole exceptions were men who would now be in their 60s and 70s. This was because they emerged into the marriage market just after World War II, when single men were scarce and women had little choice.
Professor Dunbar: Women are looking for good genes
Researchers believe the figures clearly show that taller men are reproductively more successful than shorter men, indicating that women are actively selecting for tallness when they go looking for male partners.
"Height is a cue for genetic quality," says Professor Robin Dunbar
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