Dimpled or cleft-chinned: What works best on men?

If a recent study is to be believed, John Travolta's magnificent mentum - and those of other similarly endowed men - is simply the multi-millennial result of the advent of prehistoric porridge or whatever it was that our ancestors cooked to mushy consistency and ate two million years ago. But will the devilishly dimpled or confidently cleft-chinned squarejawed heroes of today be able to take it on the chin that their mandibular protrusions are not proof of extra testosterone but merely spandrels - relatively useless and meaningless evolutionary byproducts - rather than the assertive result of adaptive selection? Though chins are the only feature humans have that primates do not, there is no denying that mouths, lips, noses and other facial attributes are rated and located far higher. Indeed, except for their perceived aesthetic value and efficacy in keeping scarves or helmet straps in place, chins - even double or multiple - rank low when it comes to utility.

It would be wise to remember that had our ancient forebears not discovered the joys of barbecuing and boiling, the modern term ' chinless wonder' would have been deprived of its sarcastic bite. Of course, it must also be noted that the chins and brains of ancient humans began to grow around the same time, so a raison d'être for the chin may yet emerge.