Here’s a ready excuse for any male whose female partner accuses him of not listening. Men have poorer hearing than the opposite sex. Really.

That’s the conclusion of an international team of researchers. Their recent study in Scientific Reports shows women enjoy hearing that is about two decibels keener than men’s.

That isn’t a huge gap. But it makes women better able to hear softer sounds, like a whispered conversation in a theater, for example.

Researchers collected hearing data from about 450 people in 13 populations across five countries, including England and South Africa. The United States was not included.

The scientists sought a good cross section of people living in varied environments. So they included those based in cities, forested areas and at high altitudes.

Hearing ability has long been viewed by physicians as a product of genetics, age and noise exposure. This study, however, shows that gender and where someone lives is important, too.

By measuring how the inner ear responds to sound, they found that some female populations have a 6-decibel gap with similarly located men.

Scientists aren’t really sure why women have superior hearing. One theory is that they have a different hormonal exposure than men in the womb that makes for better hearing.

Cochlear anatomy also differs slightly between the sexes. The cochlea is the organ that converts sound vibrations to nerve signals.

Investigators also suspect the female brain might be better at neural processing of sound.

Whatever the reasons, it’s good to know the difference exists to help prevent future communication fumbles.