Deep male voices evolved to intimidate men, not attract women

Study suggests that men's voices evolved through male competition not female mating choices, and might show our ancestors were not made for monogamy

Benedict Cumberbatch's deep and booming voice might have made him a hit among women, but a low pitch is more likely to have evolved to intimidate other men, new research suggests.

When both heterosexual men and women were played recordings of male voices, the deeper tones were hailed by men as sounding more dominant. While the deeper voices were judged to be more attractive by female listeners, the effect was weaker, the researchers report.