So , the only way it would work though is if the getting back to your original question uh is if there's a , a large discrepancy between the woman's regular partner , uh and her affair partner in terms of the quality of his genes . And so , with these um these good genes , dual mating strategy theorists propose is that there are certain markers of good genetic quality , they hypothesized masculine features . Um And there's a logic behind that uh they hypothesize symmetrical features .
So there , there's some conceptual problems with that of , you know , what does symmetry and masculinity ? Why are these the sole features that mark good genes ? Because there are also a lot of things that have moderate heritability .
So uh mutations , so genetic mutations can cause deviations , um diseases can cause asymmetries um and um environmental insults in a variety of ways . And so what they , the good genes theorists argue is that if someone is , if a male is very symmetrical , then that's a marker that he's um not experienced a history of disease or environmental insults um or a high mutation load uh or has a what they call a developmental system , that's very kind of impervious to these insults . So even though they've suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune , they still maintain that symmetry .
Um And so , and so the issue is what benefit could be so great to a woman that she's willing to risk all the , all these costs if it's discovered . And so the good genes , dual mating strategy argument could work in principle . Um And it could work if there were no costs .
So , uh early on a former student of mine , Marty Hazelton , who's now a professor at UCL A and other friends and colleagues like Steve Gang Aste and Randy Thornton put forward this idea that the reason that women do it is that they're pursuing a dual mating strategy that is they're trying to get investment from one guy like the good dads . Uh but good genes from another guy . And , and so it's , it's uh and is there any research done on what type of meat a woman is likely to cheat on ?
