Discover! >> What Women Of Different Ages Find The Most Attractive In Men, According To Science

If you’ve ever wondered why older women hanker after Pierce Brosnan while younger ladies prefer Zac Efron, scientists now have the answer.

As part of a study, experts have decoded what women of different ages find the most attractive in a partner.

Researchers asked women aged between 19 and 70 to rate a range of photographs of men.

These had been digitally altered to show varying degrees of facial masculinity, beardedness, body shape and muscle mass.

Analysis, published in the journal Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology, revealed distinct patterns depending on their age. Older women find men with fuller beards and with a slimmer build more attractive than younger women do, the study showed.

Postmenopausal women, specifically, rated feminine features and a V–shaped body as less attractive compared to women in other life stages.

And it could explain why mothers and daughters differ so greatly in who they find good–looking. The researchers said the differences in preference could reflect traits that are prioritised at certain times of life.

Younger women who are in their reproductive years may prefer muscles because they indicate physical fitness and strength.

As they get older, reproductive concerns vanish and a slimmer build – which might indicate health – becomes more appealing.

Beards, meanwhile, can be linked to maturity and status, which older women may prioritise.

‘Significant differences in women’s assessments were found,’ the team, from Wroclaw Medical University, revealed.