The study of the evolution of emotional communication dates back to Charles Darwin and has a rich history rooted in ethological research. The evolution of emotional communication is a growing field of research that explores how animals express and perceive different emotions. Studies continue to shed light on the complexity and universality of emotional communication in the animal kingdom. This review article examines the literature on human perceptions of emotions from animal vocalizations, addressing the acoustic variables that predict the way vocalizations are interpreted, whether people are generally more accurate with gauging arousal or valence from vocalizations, any patterns with respect to species, and subject variables that influence perceptions. By reviewing and synthesizing the existing literature, this article seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of human perceptions of emotions in other species and highlight avenues for future research in this field.