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Hadza Men With Lower Voice Pitch Have a Better Hunting Reputation
Kristopher M Smith1, Yevgeniy M Olkhov2, David A Puts3
11 University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Summary
Men with lower voice pitches are perceived as better hunters. This study found that actual voice pitch relates to hunting reputation in men, suggesting voice pitch may be selected for due to its link with hunting ability.
Area of Science:
- Human evolutionary biology
- Anthropology
- Bioacoustics
Background:
- Previous studies show manipulated voice pitch influences perceptions of foraging ability in hunter-gatherers.
- Lower male voices are perceived as better hunters, and lower female voices as better gatherers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between actual voice pitch and hunting/gathering reputations in men and women.
- To examine the relationship between voice pitch, foraging reputation, and reproductive success.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of voice pitch in relation to self-reported hunting and gathering reputations.
- Statistical modeling to control for confounding variables like hunting reputation and reproductive success.
Main Results:
- Voice pitch is associated with hunting reputation in men; lower pitch correlates with better hunting reputation.
- No significant association was found between voice pitch and gathering reputation in women.
- Hunting reputation predicts reproductive success independently of voice pitch.
Conclusions:
- Voice pitch may be under sexual selection in human populations due to its association with hunting prowess.
- The link between voice pitch and reproductive success might be mediated by hunting reputation.
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