Those men hoping to entice the girl of their dreams with a special gift this Christmas might need to think again.
The chances of landing a model girlfriend are decided before they’re even born, scientists claim.
Men with long ring fingers are four times more likely to end up with a partner with the classically sought-after combination of a slim waist and prominent chest.
The extra millimetres on that digit are caused by a burst of male hormone testosterone whilst in the womb.
And, in later life, that develops into a manliness that curvy women apparently find irresistible.
Researchers from Jagiellonian University Medical College in Krakow, Poland, examined the hands of 50 young men in long-term relationships then took the vital statistics of their partners.
They found men with ring fingers longer than their index fingers and busty women with small waists tended to gravitate to each other.
Their study in the journal Personality and Individual Differences states: ‘Our results suggest men’s pre-natal environment has an impact on the likelihood of being in a relationship with a more attractive and presumably more fertile woman.
‘Men with [longer ring fingers] were four times more often partnered with women who had both relatively narrow waists and large breasts.’
Lead author, human behaviour expert Berenika Kuna, added: ‘Eye-tracking studies have shown that, during evaluation of female body attractiveness, men focus mainly on the waist and breast areas, which deliver honest signals about a woman’s reproductive status.
‘A narrower waist in relation to wider hips is a visual sign of healthiness and youthfulness. Larger breasts may be a sign of sexual maturity and nurturing ability. However, mainly in Western cultures, they are considered a sign of attractiveness.’
More testosterone exposure in the womb has other effects too.
These include being more muscly and athletic – as the hormone also promotes greater muscle development.
For example, a study found boys with longer ring fingers had more powerful grips irrespective of their age or body size.
While the ring finger is typically longer in males than the index finger, the two fingers are usually of similar length in women.
Men with longer ring fingers have also been found to have better spatial abilities – while those with shorter ring fingers have superior verbal ability.
Exposure to too much testosterone in the womb has been associated with an increased risk of developing diseases in adulthood that are more common in men, such as autism and Tourette’s syndrome.
Men exposed to lower levels of testosterone in the womb have been found to have an increased risk of developing disorders that are typically more common in women, such as anxiety and depression, studies suggest.
Among the celebrities with longer ring fingers are Hollywood heart-throbs Sir Sean Connery, Brad Pitt and Colin Firth.
Mick Jagger – who had affairs with Playboy pin-up Bebe Buell and model Carla Bruni among others – has the trait too, as did pop legend Prince – who dated glamour model Carmen Electra and actress Kim Basinger.