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Have a high-pitched voice? It might be in your genes

Survey of nearly 13,000 Icelanders pinpoints for the first time a genetic variant that shapes whether a person’s voice sounds high.
  1. Freda Kreier
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Scientists have long suspected that a person’s genetics are involved in shaping how their voice sounds. But knowing which genes are involved — and how they wield their influence — has remained out of reach. Now, what researchers are calling the first large-scale genetic study of human voices has identified mutations in a gene that correlate with higher voice pitch, regardless of a person’s sex. It was published on 9 June in Science Advances1.

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Nature 618, 660 (2023)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-01901-5

Updates & Corrections

  • Correction 14 June 2023: An earlier version of this story said that people with high-voice-pitch mutations were more likely to have heart conditions. They are more likely to have high pulse pressure, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The researchers think the mutations could not only be altering the stiffness of blood vessels but also vocal cords.

References

  1. Gisladottir, R. S. et al. Sci. Adv. 9, eabq2969 (2023).

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  2. Debruyne, F., Decoster, W., Van Gijsel, A. & Vercammen, J. J. Voice 16, 466–471 (2002).

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  3. Van Lierde, K. M., Vinck, B., De Ley, S., Clement, G. & Van Cauwenberge, P. J. Voice 19, 511–518 (2005).

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