Four Lessons on Human Social Evolution from 25 Years of Voice Research

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Abstract: Large sex differences in the human voice are likely to be products of sexual selection. Research over the last quarter of a century supports this inference and, more importantly, provides a lens through which to view human social evolution. In this talk, I will discuss what voice research reveals about the intensity and forms of ancestral mating competition, the role of secondary sex traits in communication among competitors and potential mates, and the nature of ancestral social networks.

Bio: Dr. Puts is a Professor of Anthropology and Psychology at Penn State, co-funded by the Social Science Research Institute, and is Co-Director of the Center for Human Evolution and Diversity. His research focuses on the evolution and development of human sex differences, especially how sex hormones influence our psychology, behavior, and anatomy—and how these traits were shaped by sexual selection