Panama – Humans and frogs share surprising preferences when it comes to mating calls, according to a new study that shows some animal sounds are universally appealing across species.

Researchers from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), working with colleagues in the U.S., Canada, and New Zealand, tested more than 4,000 participants worldwide. Using a gamified experiment, people listened to pairs of animal sounds from 16 species, including male túngara frogs (Engystomops pustulosus), and indicated which they preferred.

The results revealed a strong overlap between human and animal preferences. Humans were more likely to choose the same calls that female frogs—and other animals, like frog-eating bats and blood-sucking flies—found attractive. Preferences were strongest for lower-pitched sounds and calls with added elements, such as trills, clicks, or chucks.

“After witnessing those female preferences Stan and Mike discovered when I got to measure them myself, I became fascinated with the question of where these preferences come from,” said Logan James, lead author and STRI research associate.

Published March 19, 2026, in Science, the study builds on research from the 1980s by STRI scientists A. Stanley Rand and Michael J. Ryan, confirming that acoustic signals can appeal to multiple species, not just the intended mates.

“In gamified citizen science, people volunteer for experiments simply because they’re fun and interesting,” said Samuel Mehr, senior author and associate professor at Yale University.

Ryan added, “Darwin noted that animals seem to have a ‘taste for the beautiful’ that sometimes parallels our own preferences. We show that this is true in a general sense, likely due to the sensory systems we share with other animals.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download