KEY POINTS:
Johnny Depp and Megan Fox are in the same league as far as votes on sexiest-people lists go - but there's a major difference.
Apart from the obvious, there's an age gap of more than 20 years.
At 45, Depp topped the list released this week by Cosmopolitan, the British magazine for women in their 20s and 30s - which was rounded out by other mature men, such as fellow actors George Clooney, 47, and Brad Pitt, 44.
Compare that with Fox, 22, and the rest on the British "lads' mag" FHM's list - which included teenager Hayden Panettierre - who were much younger.
The age difference was striking, with the average age for the top 10 men around 37 years, compared with about 24 for the top 10 women.
Experts told the Weekend Herald the Brits are not alone.
University of Canterbury professor Garth Fletcher said the trend was widespread throughout the world.
"It's almost always the case that males will tend to pick someone who is the same age to younger, whereas it is the other way round for women."
He said women tended to believe that status, which often came with age, was an important quality when looking for a mate.
But men were more often swayed by attractiveness and sought "good" genes to pass on to their children.
"These are supposedly evolved differences, they are not just a function of culture."
Professor Fletcher said the ages of those voting in the magazine polls could also be a factor.
But Palmerston North clinical psychologist and sex therapist Robyn Salisbury said social constructs also played a role. She said although ageing women did not fit the currently accepted criteria for beauty, it was a different case for men.
"Men can look more gorgeous as they get older," she said. "That sort of craggy look enhances their attractiveness in many women's eyes."
She said some men liked to be seen with younger women as an ego boost.
10 sexiest men in the world
According to Britain's Cosmopolitan magazine:
1. Johnny Depp (aged 45).
2. George Clooney (47).
3. Jake Gyllenhaal (27).
4. Daniel Craig (40).
5. Brad Pitt (44).
6. James McAvoy (29).
7. Justin Timberlake (27).
8. Will Smith (40).
9. David Beckham (33).
10. Wentworth Miller (36).
Sexiest women in the world
According to British FHM:
1. Megan Fox (aged 22).
2. Jessica Alba (27).
3. Keeley Hazell (22).
4. Elisha Cuthbert (25).
5. Hayden Panettierre (19).
6. Scarlett Johansson (23).
7. Cheryl Cole (25).
8. Hilary Duff (21).
9. Angelina Jolie (33).
10. Keira Knightley (23).
