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Men and women differ in many ways, including in how they choose their friends. New data reveals that men prefer large all-male cliques while women seek out a few very close female friends. Researchers analyzed the profile photos of almost 112,000 adult Facebook users around the world, looking carefully at the photos that featured more than one person. Usually, when a profile photo showed a large group of people, they were all males. Lead study author Tamas David-Barrett explains that within a group of all male peers, competition is suppressed and bonding is reinforced through rituals. The profile photos of women rarely showed large groups of all females. David-Barrett says women appear to “focus their social capital on only one person at a time.” It’s thought our choice of friends may reflect the roles men and women took in ancient times to boost survival. Men, for instance, were usually responsible for defending a community against attacks, so it makes sense that they would bond together. Women may have developed “a unique capacity for intense empathic relationships” because of their roles as mothers. (Today) (Imagequaddles.deviantart.com)