People tend to favor the exact same mating calls that female frogs, birds, and insects find most attractive in their own species. This overlap in auditory taste suggests that humans and other animals process sounds using similar sensory traits shaped by millions of years of evolution. The findings were recently published in the journal Science. Across the natural world, male animals use a variety of signals to attract a mate. These signals range from the bright colors of butterfly wings to the elaborate songs of birds. Female animals receive these signals and show a distinct preference for certain traits over others. A female might choose a mate based on the depth of his call or the addition of extra acoustic flair. These choices often stem from the way an animal’s nervous system is wired. Certain sounds provide greater stimulation to the auditory system, making them naturally more appealing to the listener. Because many species share similar nervous system structures, a sound that stimulates a frog might also stimulate a person. Charles Darwin originally suspected this …