News in Science Friday, 20 April 2012 AFP ------------------------- Woman were found to be far more gender-biased in who they maintained close contact with _(Source: Tadeusz

Ibrom/iStockphoto)_ Changing connections Women speak to their male partners less often as they grow older and turn their attention to a younger generation, according to an unusual study. The

findings back evolutionary theory about the role of women in the survival of the genes, according to the probe by researchers in Britain, Finland, the United States and Hungary. The

investigators tracked the origin and destination of two billion mobile phone calls and text messages among 3.2 million people over seven months. The changing web of contacts showed how men

"Men are more casual in their social relationships, whereas women know what their social goals are and go for them." Women spent more time communicating with the opposite sex when

they were of childbearing age, the scientists write. After the age of 45, women tended to shift their attentions to a much younger female - presumed to be a daughter - as their focus shifted

to grandchildren. Men's most frequent contact throughout their lives was consistently with their wife or girlfriend, although they made fewer calls than women did. Co-author Kimmo

Kaski of Finland's Aalto University says the results were "maybe sort of obvious", but this was the first evidence borne out by actual data. The researchers knew only the age

and gender of the subjects, the duration of their calls and the number of messages sent, as well as their postal codes. The information was provided by an unidentified phone company in a

European country. Identities and other data were withheld. TAGS: mobile-phones, anthropology-and-sociology, evolution Email the editor Use these social-bookmarking links to share CALLS BACK

EVOLUTIONARY GENDER THEORY.