The male sea lion can size up his competitors by the tone of their roar. Dogs back down when they hear the growl of a heftier rival. And humans, it turns out, do much the same thing.
A study led by academics at the University of Sussex shows that our voices give away more than we might think.
Men and women can accurately judge whether a man is taller and stronger than them by listening to audio clips of screaming or shouting.
The research, published in the journal iScience, suggests that beneath the veneer of civilisation, the primitive impulses that drove our ancestors to fight, run away from, or mate with one another have not completely vanished.
The scientists recorded 31 men and 30