Blame your asymmetrical ears for being a dud at dancing

London, Apr 11 (ANI): Got two left feet? Well, then instead of wasting money on dance classes, try to spend a few minutes measuring your ears, suggest researchers.

Researchers in Edinburgh have embarked upon a mass experiment which will be see both good and bad dancers. They have been invited to show off their skills before having their ears also subjected to scrutiny.

The study's motive is to test the theory that the more symmetrical you are, the more likely you are to be a hit on the dance floor.

"We will be finding the best and worst dancers in the room and finding out how symmetrical their bodies are. Good dancers tend to be quite physically symmetrical - if you measure their ears they tend to be about the same size," The Scotsman quoted researcher Professor Richard Wiseman, as saying.

The reasons behind the link between symmetry, dancing and attractiveness are complex. Symmetrical features, such as equally sized ears and eyes, are generally thought to be linked to genetic quality.

Previous studies suggest highly symmetrical people are generally rated as more attractive.

According to Wiseman, in evolutionary terms, attractiveness was a sign of a good genetic background, meaning someone was likely to produce the best and healthiest offspring.

"One theory about dance is that it is a kind of display of sexual fitness. It's a way of saying to people we're fit, we've got a good sense of rhythm.

"You expect good dancers to be displaying their fitness and people who are good bets from an evolutionary perspective are those who are quite symmetrical in terms of facial attraction," he said.

For the study at the Edinburgh Science Festival event, good dancers will be asked to put themselves forward for a dance-off to find the five best among them. The five worst dancers, Wiseman said, would be easier to spot.

Then the ear measuring will commence. Wiseman said researchers suspected the best dancers would have the most symmetrical ears, while the worst dancers would be less equal - though there may only be a few millimetres difference.

"Pretty much every society dances and a lot of the time those dances are about attracting mates," he added.(ANI)