What evolutionary reason is there for women having higher pitched voices than men?
921854
It's all speculation, but in general, larger animals have deeper voices. Male humans are about 20% bigger than females, on average.
234681
This is a large question, and the source of much controversy, conflict, anger, and hilarity for all of recorded history. Aristophanes' Lysistrata is merely one of the earliest in a long literary tradition exploring the question. James Thurber is only one of the most recent, and funniest, of those writing in English.\n\nOnly in the last few decades has there been any scientific evidence which even begins to explain why the so long observed differences exist. \n\nIt is clear that there are, on average, anatomic differences between female and male brains. For instance, in the connection between the two hemispheres. And imaging studies of working brains ('PET scans') have shown some apparently characteristic differences in the areas of the brain used by males and females when their brains are ostensibly doing the same thing. There is even enough of such evidence that there are now centers for the study of gender differences. \n\nFrom a behavioral viewpoint, the field of evolutionary psychology (or sociobiology) has produced a series of testable hypotheses about differences between female and male behavior. These are essentially unique in the field because they suggest experiments which can test them. Thus far, this approach has shown promise in accounting for some of the non-cultural non-religious behavior differences. Thus far, even such things as the clothing styles chosen when going to dance clubs have been accounted for to some extent by this approach. Much of this work is controversial amongst one or another group since it deals with issues (eg, sex, reproduction, mating behavior, ...) which are of great importance socially or religiously.\n\nThe most reasonable account of behavioral differences between the sexes is based on reproductive success. Males who behaved this way (or these ways) tended to have more descendants (more children who survived to have children themselves), and females who behaved that way (or those ways) also had more children who survived to have children of their own. Much of the reasoning on these matters is based in the fact that, in humans, females cannot have more than a small number of children, given the underlying biology. We humans are born far from able to cope with life, and require a long period of maturation before we can. We share some of this extended infancy with some other species (such as chimpanzees and orangutans) and, to some extent, they show similar sex linked behavioral differences. Males, on the other hand, are capable of having a great many children. But, because of the long term helpless infancy period, together with typical human female awkwardness during much of pregnancy, it seems likely that males who stayed with the female increased the chances that children (half of whose genes came from him) were more likely to survive to child-bearing age. This pattern may also account for male jealousy (only if the female is sexually exclusive can he be sure the child is his) and female interest in male resource control. If he's rich (however rich is measured in a society), he will likely be able to increase the chance that her children will survive to have children of their own. Some of these suggestions (hypotheses) are subject to test in humans and some other species; the evolutionary approach has illuminated some hitherto opaque behaviors.\n\nThese matters are very near to the center of much conflict in traditional (and some other not so traditional) societies, many of whose citizens are made uneasy by new and different behaviors and by research which either 'endorses' some of those behaviors or 'undermines' some of their existing or traditional behaviors. In fact, the science is still in its infancy, and those who claim it endorses this or that don't understand it, and those who fear the science would be better advised to concentrate on policy makers of various kinds who don't understand the nature of science, nor much of this emerging scien
220722
Generally speaking it is a matter of statistics and genetics, and actually statistically speaking men are on average 5 points ahead of the fairer sex IQ wise. \n   In all actuallity boys and girls up to age 14 have no measurable difference statistically wise in IQ, however after that age there is a consistent widening in the IQ gap between men and women up to the age of 45, where IQ generally tend to stabalize.\n    A generally accepted biological explanation, after extensive simplification, is that males evoveled their mathamatical and spatial abillity becuase of the need of those skills for hunting, navigating, and competing for natural resources (think cave-man). Women's 'mental aptitude' on the other hand dealt with teaching, communicating, and raising and caring for offspring (think cave-woman). So wait, does this mean that women are better at communicating then men?\n The answer is not surprisingly an emphatic YES! In fact a majority of studies found that on average women are indeed better at commicating then men, and have consistently shown better verbal and writing skills in all of the basic aptiude tests (think SAT and ASVAB) used. So why do men have higher IQ's, well becuase most IQ tests stress memory and spatial development, most likely becuase it is extremely difficult to accurately measure anything related to imagination and creativity.\n   So what is the answer..well officially its men, but thats what just the book says. There are many other factors to take into consideration when determining how 'smart' someone is than just a test: drive, motivation, determination. Honestly it all comes down to the person...
661851
I've also heard of this affect. Males are naturally more aggressive due to their hormones. But when the stimuli related to love are activated, they naturally become more docile, so they're easier to approach and be close to. Humans are still animals regardless of our high opinions of ourselves. Emotions Hormones and pheromones affect us as though they do any other animal. I could see how naturally, with it being in the subconscious that one is married, they're less likely to be aggressive with other males, in order to impress other females. This no longer applies to them, I would suppose it's the same mentality that allows the female gender to let themselves go. Perphaps this is just a scientific study proving that this phenomenon also happens in males. It makes perfect sense.
993417
Women do not have the upper body strength that men do. But men do not have the endurance and muliti-tasking skills that women have.\nAlso, women do not start wars as men do. A big plus!\nMen have better mathematical skills, usually, than women, but women have better communication skills as a rule.\nWomen have more nurturing abilities also, men are more adventurous.\nAll in all, women certainly are not "weaker" than men.
415118
Women are more emotional than men are...for the most part.  Plus alot of it is hormonal. Our cycles change several times in the matter of a month. And what do you mean I am moody?!!!  lmto! :op~~
896023
Testosterone boosts growth in humans. Men have more testosterone which is why they are usually bigger. As men grow their larynx grows and the Adam's apple bulges.\n\nA larger larynx is also why men usually have deeper voices.
275799
They are such multi-faceted beings !!!\n\nFemale dysfunction.  Despite significant anatomic and embryologic parallels between men and women, the multifaceted nature of female dysfunction clearly is distinct from that of the male.
87874
possibilities: \n\n1. you have normal hearing....\n\n2. cos women are murderers...\n\n3. God hates women and is not keen on them joining him\n\n4. God wants women to suffer more on earth.....\n\n5. cats and pussies have nine lives\n\n6. Men wont waste a bullet on a woman....\n\n7. Women bleed to death slowly...i hope that is the right answer...
366828
Its an evoluntairy throw back. Way back when, the big and though males would have the highest chance of survival. And therefor those males got more sex. Even though that has now changed the behavioral pattern of trying to impress the female by showing how though, strong and damn good their genes are has not changed.
513018
I don't think it's just women.  Men do both as well.  I think it's just preference..and whether the person cares about their environment.
486251
Because when they are a fetus in the womb both males and females grow in the same way upto a certain time when sexual charcteristics develop. \nMales stop growing in that area cause they do not need them for survival whereas females need them for breastfeeding so development continues.  \n\nI think apes have them to!
429785
My only guess is that biologically they are much more visual than women are and need tangible evidence of there existance. Feats accomplished and places gone and things mastered provides that sort of evidence.\n\nOr the short answer: Testosterone.
1120390
Actually women are more complex because they are more empathic.  They instinctively care about others and also care about how others think about them.  This kind of thinking allows the female to bond better with peers.  Men can simply block out this kind of thinking and turn it on and off at will.   I am not sure this is a positive traite or a negative one but its how we are.
474235
Given the fact that women usually have higher metabolic rates than men therefore, women usually have a slightly higher pulse rate than men.\n\nKeep in mind that there are many other factors that have a much more significant impact on pulse rate than gender.
338619
Men only fart more than women because they dont shut up long enough to build up the required pressure
905462
Most parts of a male are typically bigger than the same parts on a female (not all though, females typically have wider hips for example).  This phenomenon is known as sexual dimorphism.  The most likely causes of sexual dimorphism in humans are  competition between males for females (the bigger you are the better you are at beating other men, both in a physical fight and in a bluff) and female mate choice, where females tend to pick taller, broader men for partners.  Both of these factors have led to evolutionary pressure on males to get bigger.  The mechanism by which this occurs during development is closely modulated by testosterone.  The more testosterone a man has, the taller he grows, the broader his shoulders are, the bigger his hands and feet are and the squarer his jaw is.\nSome more interesting things about the hands of men and women, is that women tend to have narrower palms and longer fingers and men tend to have wider palms and shorter fingers.  Another interesting quirk is that the more testosterone a baby boy is exposed to in the womb of his mother (yes, women have testosterone too, just not as much as men!) the longer his second digit (pointer finger) will be compared to his fourth digit (wedding ring finger).  Hopefully these will be some interesting facts to put on a science fair project!