Voice and handgrip strength predict reproductive success in a group of indigenous African females

PLoS One. 2012;7(8):e41811. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0041811. Epub 2012 Aug 3.

Abstract

Evolutionary accounts of human traits are often based on proxies for genetic fitness (e.g., number of sex partners, facial attractiveness). Instead of using proxies, actual differences in reproductive success is a more direct measure of darwinian fitness. Certain voice acoustics such as fundamental frequency and measures of health such as handgrip strength correlate with proxies of fitness, yet there are few studies showing the relation of these traits to reproduction. Here, we explore whether the fundamental frequency of the voice and handgrip strength account for differences in actual reproduction among a population of natural fertility humans. Our results show that both fundamental frequency and handgrip strength predict several measures of reproductive success among a group of indigenous Namibian females, particularly amongst the elderly, with weight also predicting reproductive outcomes among males. These findings demonstrate that both hormonally regulated and phenotypic quality markers can be used as measures of darwinian fitness among humans living under conditions that resemble the evolutionary environment of Homo sapiens. We also argue that these findings provide support for the Grandmother Hypothesis.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Black People*
  • Female
  • Fertility / physiology*
  • Hand Strength / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Namibia
  • Quantitative Trait, Heritable
  • Voice / physiology*

Grants and funding

Two of the authors (PS and AS) received a grant (2900/W/IPS/08) in the amount of $2,200 USD from the University of Wroclaw. This money was primarily used for travel and was not enough to cover experimental costs. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.