“Scientists discovered biological sex, age, and environment influence hearing sensitivity, with women having better hearing than men. This highlights evolutions impact on our senses.”

An international team of scientists discovered that biological sex was the primary factor explaining differences in hearing sensitivity, with women having significantly more sensitive hearing than men. Age and environment also played important roles, with rural dwellers having better hearing than those in urban areas.

The study conducted by the Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Research (CRBE) in Toulouse and the University of Bath , tested the hearing of 450 individuals across 13 global populations, including rural and non-European groups.

The findings revealed that sex had the greatest impact on hearing sensitivity, with women showing an average of two decibels better hearing than men across all studied populations. The environment was the second most significant factor, influencing both volume response and the range of frequencies perceived. People living in forested areas had the highest sensitivity, while those at high altitudes had the lowest.

The researchers suggested that higher sensitivity in forest dwellers could be due to adaptation to diverse soundscapes or lower pollution levels. Reduced sensitivity in high-altitude populations might be linked to lower atmospheric pressure, sound reduction, or adaptations to lower oxygen levels.

The study also found that urban populations shifted towards perceiving higher frequencies, possibly due to the filtering out of low-frequency traffic noise.

(Source:https://www.news-medical.net/news/20250401/Study-shows-women-can-hear-better-than-men.aspx)