You and I have debated this subject before. I had to leave the last debate we had because graduate school and finances constricted greatly my time on the internet. I thought that your proposal for this thread was a little more confined and would be easier to handle. Rather then a complete discussion of the field of Ev Psych in all its nooks and crannies you wanted proposals for good solid research in the field. Here is one that I particularly like. Its out of the University of New Mexico and builds on previous studies that indicated important links between scent and attractiveness. This study really zeroed in on the genetic role of MHC genes in creating the pattern. Let me know what issues you have with this kind of research (if you can’t get the PDF copy I can download it and post a link):
Major histocompatibility complex genes, symmetry, and body scent attractiveness in men and women
Thornhill, R; Gangestad, SW; Miller, R; Scheyd, G; McCollough, JK; Franklin, M Source: BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY; SEP 2003; v.14, no.5, p.668-678