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Mate selection is one of the most fascinating aspects of human behavior.

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In all cultures, most people (usually over 90 percent) marry at least once in their lives

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and even those who never marry generally have some sort of romantic experience.

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From puberty, both men and women spend a great deal of time and energy

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advertising themselves as potential mates and evaluating the desirability of other people as mates.

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This is especially true during the years of adolescence and early adulthood

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when the pressures to attract a suitable mate are most intense.

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In the animal world, most species have a set of fairly rigid courtship behaviors.

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Animals who deviate from those courtship behaviors rarely attract a mate

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so their genes are not passed on to the next generation.

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Humans are more flexible and creative about mating.

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Every human culture has an elaborate set of courtship rituals, but also a wide range of variations.

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In this activity, we will examine some of the factors that influence romantic attraction

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and consider an evolutionary explanation for some gender differences in mate selection.