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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240422T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240422T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225309
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SUMMARY:Michael Greenfield - Rhythm coordination in animal species\, including humans: Entrainment from bushcricket chorusing to the philharmonic orchestra
DESCRIPTION:Rhythm coordination in animal species\, including humans: Entrainment from bushcricket chorusing to the philharmonic orchestra.\nMichael Greenfield\nENES Bioacoustics Research Lab\, CRNL\, University of Saint-Etienne\, CNRS\nDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology\, University of Kansas\nRepetitive cycles of an activity or state\, generally known as rhythm\, are ubiquitous in living organisms\, occurring in all branches of the tree of life.  In animal species rhythms play prominent roles in physiology and behavior\, and they are commonly expressed as long-term (period > 12 h) cycles\, entrained to recurring astronomical phenomena\, at one end of the temporal spectrum\, or as very short (< 10 s) ultradian cycles at the other.  In behavior\, ultradian rhythms often involve movement or the broadcast of communication signals\, and in some species neighboring individuals coordinate their rhythms in time.  Such coordination fascinates us because of its flawless precision and complexity\, the horde of individuals that may participate\, and the resulting crescendo of the communal display.  But aesthetic sensibilities aside\, coordinated rhythms pose major questions concerning mechanisms and evolution :  How is coordination achieved\, which individuals in a local population participate\, why do neighbors bother to coordinate their activity and what is the phylogenetic distribution of these displays among animal taxa? \nThis seminar covers the diverse ways in which animals coordinate relatively fast behavioral rhythms.  We concentrate on the coordination of rhythms expressed in sexual advertisement and social communication\, as these tend to be conspicuous to observers and their parameters can normally be measured unambiguously.  We begin with the various timing schemes found in rhythm coordination\, noting the relative timing of the signaling by individual participants\, how those participants tend to be arranged in space\, and the signaling modalities used.  From the receiver’s perspective\, we ask who perceives the signals\, where these potential receivers are located (whether within or outside of the coordinated group)\, and how receivers may respond to the group display.  Because of moderate to extreme precision found in coordinated group displays\, we pay special attention to the mechanisms with which individual signaling rhythms are aligned in different animal species.  We show how an understanding of mechanism is critical for the next step : evaluating adaptive explanations for synchrony and other group coordinations.  Although our survey of rhythm coordination among animals is certainly incomplete and probably reflects sampling bias favouring signals and species that are readily observed and that have been studied traditionally\, some striking patterns emerge.  Rhythm coordination of both moderate and high precision appears mostly among certain arthropods and ‘lower’ vertebrates in the chordates\, but also in humans where synchronous coordination is central in music\, dance and other group activities.  We consider this curious\, disjunct phylogenetic distribution\, and specifically ask how and why strictly timed rhythmic synchrony operates in these very different organisms.  Importantly\, this comparative approach holds promise for unraveling the origins of human musicality. \n  \n 
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/michael-greenfield-rhythm-coordination-in-animal-species-including-humans-entrainment-from-bushcricket-chorusing-to-the-philharmonic-orchestra/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
CATEGORIES:2024,Past Presentation,Presentation
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240415T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240415T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225309
CREATED:20240410T175739Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240521T222548Z
UID:7327-1713182400-1713187800@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Kelsey Jorgensen - Surviving the heights: Environmental adaptations and multispecies genetics in the Andes
DESCRIPTION:Surviving the heights: Environmental adaptations and multispecies genetics in the Andes\nKelsey Jorgensen\nPostdoctoral Scholar\, Department of Anthropology\, UCLA\nHuman populations have thrived in the Peruvian Andes for thousands of years despite extreme environmental stressors of hypoxia\, cold temperatures\, and times of food scarcity. These evolutionary environmental pressures have shaped unique genetic adaptations and continue to influence health in human populations today. In this talk\, I bridge genotype-phenotype to identify genetic variants in modern Peruvians linked to diet and high-altitude resulting from evolutionary environmental adaptation. In addition\, I explore this intersection of biology\, culture\, and environment to infer ancient human migration patterns across the Andes in the absence of aDNA by using multispecies genetics.
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/kelsey-jorgensen-surviving-the-heights-environmental-adaptations-and-multispecies-genetics-in-the-andes/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
CATEGORIES:2024,Past Presentation,Presentation
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240408T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240408T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225309
CREATED:20240329T021007Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240410T175144Z
UID:7287-1712577600-1712583000@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Jazlyn Mooney - On the Number of Genealogical Ancestors: Tracing to the Source Groups of an Admixed Population
DESCRIPTION:On the Number of Genealogical Ancestors: Tracing to the Source Groups of an Admixed Population\nJazlyn Mooney\nDept. of Quantitative and Computational Biology\, University of Southern California\nIn genetically admixed populations\, admixed individuals possess ancestry from multiple source groups. Studies of human genetic admixture frequently estimate ancestry components corresponding to fractions of individual genomes that trace to specific ancestral populations. However\, the same numerical ancestry fraction can represent a wide array of admixture scenarios. Using a mechanistic model of admixture\, we characterize admixture genealogically: how many distinct ancestors from the source populations does the admixture represent? We consider African Americans\, for whom continent-level estimates produce a 75-85% value for African ancestry on average and 15-25% for European ancestry. Genetic studies together with key features of African-American demographic history suggest ranges for model parameters. Using the model\, we infer that if genealogical lineages of a random African American born during 1960-1965 are traced back until they reach members of source populations\, the expected number of genealogical lines terminating with African individuals is 314\, and the expected number terminating in Europeans is 51. Across discrete generations\, the peak number of African genealogical ancestors occurs for birth cohorts from the early 1700s. The probability exceeds 50% that at least one European ancestor was born more recently than 1835. Our genealogical perspective can contribute to further understanding the admixture processes that underlie admixed populations. For African Americans\, the results provide insight both on how many of the ancestors of a typical African American might have been forcibly displaced in the Transatlantic Slave Trade and on how many separate European admixture events might exist in a typical African-American genealogy.
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/jazlyn-mooney-on-the-number-of-genealogical-ancestors/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
CATEGORIES:2024,Past Presentation,Presentation
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240401T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240401T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225309
CREATED:20240329T013639Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240604T192502Z
UID:7281-1711972800-1711978200@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:David Reby - What can deer tell us about our voice? How sexual selection may have shaped human vocal diversity
DESCRIPTION:What can deer tell us about our voice? How sexual selection may have shaped human vocal diversity\nDavid Reby\nProfessor of Ethology\, Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle\, Université Jean Monnet of Saint-Etienne\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMany animal species use vocal communication\, but humans are unique in the ability to control the vocal production of an incredible diversity of sounds\, enabling us to exchange information of extreme complexity. In this talk\, I will propose that sexual selection\, which is responsible for the evolution of astonishing visual and auditory signals in many animal species\, may have played a key role in the emergence of our vocal diversity. I will show that in a wide range of polygynous species\, sexual selection has modified the vocal apparatus of males to support the exaggeration of body size conveyed by vocalizations. These modifications have in turn opened up the acoustic space along a male/female continuum\, where low frequencies convey dominance and/or masculinity\, and high frequencies convey subordination and/or femininity. I will suggest that this widening of the vocal space\, which can be found in modern humans in the expression of gender in children’s and adults’ voices\, may have favored the evolution of vocal control by allowing us to play along this frequency continuum to signal emotions and motivations. I will also suggest that size exaggeration may even have shaped the evolution of mechanisms necessary for the production and perception of vowels in speech. \n\n\n 
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/david-reby-spring2024/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
CATEGORIES:2024,Past Presentation,Presentation
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240311T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240311T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225309
CREATED:20240103T220246Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240214T185552Z
UID:6960-1710158400-1710163800@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Holly Dunsworth - To Save Humankind\, Kill Off the Hero’s Journey of Human Evolution
DESCRIPTION:To Save Humankind\, Kill Off the Hero’s Journey of Human Evolution\nHolly Dunsworth\nUniversity of Rhode Island\nIn Narratives of Human Evolution\, Misia Landau revealed that late 19th and early 20th century fathers of human evolutionary theory\, including Charles Darwin\, unconsciously conformed their stories to the key structural elements of Russian folktales. Dunsworth argues that the enduring habit—within science\, academia\, and throughout popular culture—of projecting a hero’s journey onto lineages that blend and weave across deep time is fundamental to the perpetuation of untrue patriarchal and racist reconstructions of human origins and human nature\, which we continue to enact to our peril\, and to the planet’s. In this presentation\, Dunsworth breaks down the hero’s journey into its parts and compares them to contemporary human evolutionary biology. In the end\, the hero’s journey does not triumph. This presentation is based on a chapter in Dunsworth’s upcoming book (Viking/Penguin\, 2025).
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/holly-dunsworth-to-save-humankind/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
CATEGORIES:2024,Presentation,Upcoming Presentation
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240304T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240304T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225309
CREATED:20240103T220143Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240228T080341Z
UID:6957-1709553600-1709559000@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Patricia Greenfield
DESCRIPTION:Patricia Greenfield\nDistinguished Professor\, UCLA Department of Psychology\nAssociate\, Harvard Department of Human Evolutionary Biology\nA Theoretical and Empirical Approach to Cultural Evolution: Intergenerational Transmission\, Cognition\, and Creativity\nFor the theoretical approach\, I will present my multilevel theory of ecological change\, cultural evolution\, and human development. For the empirical evidence\, I will report findings from longitudinal study of a Zinacantec Maya community in Chiapas\, Mexico over a span of 43 years. This research has explored the intergenerational transmission of weaving\, cognitive development\, and creativity in three generations of mothers and children. From Generation 1 to Generation 2\, the main ecological change was the transition from subsistence agriculture to money and commerce. From Generation 2 to Generation 3\, the main ecological change was from informal education at home to formal education at school. In the domain of intergenerational transmission\, the first shift created more independent weaving learners; the second shift created more school-like transmission of weaving technique. Both ecological shifts moved cognition towards greater abstraction and creativity towards greater innovation. These ecological shifts also produced cultural losses: Fewer girls learning to weave on a backstrap loom\, less detail-oriented visual representation\, and the declining importance of traditional\, community-wide woven patterns. The processes of cultural evolution identified in this Maya community are similar to cultural shifts going on in many communities around the world\, communities have transitioned from subsistence ecologies to commercial\, urbanized\, and technologically more sophisticated environments.
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/patricia_greenfield_a_theoretical_and_empirical_approach_to_cultural_evolution/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
CATEGORIES:2024,Presentation,Upcoming Presentation
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240226T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240226T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225309
CREATED:20240103T220024Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240228T080201Z
UID:6954-1708948800-1708954200@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Michael Campbell - The effect of population history on patterns of genetic diversity at the TAS2R bitter taste receptor genes in West Central and Central African populations
DESCRIPTION:The effect of population history on patterns of genetic diversity at the TAS2R bitter taste receptor genes in West Central and Central African populations\nMichael Campbell\nUSC\nBitter taste perception is a highly variable trait in humans\, and the ability to detect bitter compounds has been largely attributed to genetic variants in 25 bitter taste receptor (TAS2R) genes. Furthermore\, bitter taste perception has been hypothesized to be a dietary adaptation in humans. However\, few studies have characterized patterns of diversity and signatures of selection at the TAS2R genes in distinct African populations. Given the extensive genetic substructure and evidence for local adaptation in Africa\, we hypothesized that Africans practicing diverse subsistence strategies could have distinct patterns of selection resulting from divergent diets. To test this hypothesis\, we examined sequence variation at 22 bitter taste receptor genes in rainforest hunter-gatherers and Bantu-speaking agriculturalists from Cameroon. Here\, we identified 353 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the TAS2R genes\, 35 of which have never been previously described. We also observed striking signatures of positive selection\, including unusually long haplotypes around alleles at the TAS2R genes. In addition\, some of these signals of selection were shared between rainforest hunter-gatherers and Bantu-speaking agriculturalists. To better understand these results\, we performed genomic genotyping in our African populations. Interestingly\, we observed varying proportions of ancestry originating from Bantu-speakers in hunter-gatherers with the highest levels of admixture occurring in the Bakola population. These findings demonstrate that gene flow from neighboring agriculturalists has also shaped patterns of diversity in hunter-gatherers\, including variation in the TAS2R genes. Overall\, this research provides new insights into the evolution of biologically relevant bitter taste genes in highly understudied African populations.
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/michael-campbell-tas2r-bitter-taste-receptor-genes/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
CATEGORIES:2024,Past Presentation,Presentation
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240212T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240212T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225309
CREATED:20240103T215859Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240215T071019Z
UID:6951-1707739200-1707744600@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Eduardo Amorim - How Past Pandemics Shaped the Evolution of Human Immunity – Lessons from Ancient Genomes
DESCRIPTION:How Past Pandemics Shaped the Evolution of Human Immunity – Lessons from Ancient\nGenomes\nEduardo Amorim\nCal State Northridge\nPathogen exposure has played a pivotal role in shaping human evolution. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) reveal that the genetic predisposition to infections arises from the contribution of thousands of loci across the genome\, indicating a polygenic mode of inheritance. At California State University Northridge\, our research lab utilizes ancient DNA (aDNA) data to investigate the evolution of polygenic traits in humans\, focusing on phenotypes related to immunity and adaptation to extreme environmental conditions. In this presentation\, I will explore how past epidemics shaped the genetic makeup of our ancestors\, impacting various biological pathways relevant to human health. While addressing the limitations of our methods\, I will emphasize the growing potential of paleogenomics\, employing time-series genetic data built with aDNA to enhance our understanding of human adaptation and the evolution of polygenic traits. The talk will conclude with a brief overview of other ongoing projects in our lab\, including the study of high-altitude adaptation and the coevolution of the human host and the oral microbiome. \n 
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/eduardo-amorin-how-past-pandemics/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
CATEGORIES:2024,Past Presentation,Presentation
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240205T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240205T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225309
CREATED:20240103T215740Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240201T220903Z
UID:6948-1707134400-1707139800@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Jazlyn Mooney - On the Number of Genealogical Ancestors: Tracing to the Source Groups of an Admixed Population
DESCRIPTION:On the Number of Genealogical Ancestors: Tracing to the Source Groups of an Admixed Population\nJazlyn Mooney\nUSC\nIn genetically admixed populations\, admixed individuals possess ancestry from multiple source groups. Studies of human genetic admixture frequently estimate ancestry components corresponding to fractions of individual genomes that trace to specific ancestral populations. However\, the same numerical ancestry fraction can represent a wide array of admixture scenarios. Using a mechanistic model of admixture\, we characterize admixture genealogically: how many distinct ancestors from the source populations does the admixture represent? We consider African Americans\, for whom continent-level estimates produce a 75-85% value for African ancestry on average and 15-25% for European ancestry. Genetic studies together with key features of African-American demographic history suggest ranges for model parameters. Using the model\, we infer that if genealogical lineages of a random African American born during 1960-1965 are traced back until they reach members of source populations\, the expected number of genealogical lines terminating with African individuals is 314\, and the expected number terminating in Europeans is 51. Across discrete generations\, the peak number of African genealogical ancestors occurs for birth cohorts from the early 1700s. The probability exceeds 50% that at least one European ancestor was born more recently than 1835. Our genealogical perspective can contribute to further understanding the admixture processes that underlie admixed populations. For African Americans\, the results provide insight both on how many of the ancestors of a typical African American might have been forcibly displaced in the Transatlantic Slave Trade and on how many separate European admixture events might exist in a typical African-American genealogy.
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/jazlyn-mooney-talk-title-tba/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
CATEGORIES:2024,Presentation,Upcoming Presentation
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240129T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240129T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225309
CREATED:20240103T215619Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240131T010232Z
UID:6945-1706529600-1706535000@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Elsa Ordway	- Insights from the tropics: a social-ecological systems approach to understanding climate change
DESCRIPTION:Insights from the tropics: a social-ecological systems approach to understanding climate change\nElsa Ordway\nUCLA\nThe tropics are experiencing dramatic changes as a result of climate change and land-use change. Shifts in carbon flux dynamics\, water cycling\, and species composition are resulting in feedbacks with globally important consequences. However\, tropical forests are not a monolith. They vary enormously in terms of species diversity\, climate\, soils\, human interactions\, and much more. As a result\, tropical forest ecosystems are already beginning to show evidence of distinct responses to climate and land-use change. Yet\, these differences remain highly uncertain and poorly understood. An integrated social-ecological systems approach is critical for understanding drivers of and responses to change\, as well as for identifying solutions.
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/elsa-ordway-insights-from-the-tropics/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
CATEGORIES:2024,Past Presentation,Presentation
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240122T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240122T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225309
CREATED:20240103T215453Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240124T010814Z
UID:6942-1705924800-1705930200@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Emily Lindsey - Dawn of the Anthropocene: How humans in a warming climate drove Pleistocene mammal extinctions and re-shaped California’s landscapes
DESCRIPTION:Dawn of the Anthropocene: How humans in a warming climate drove Pleistocene mammal extinctions and re-shaped California’s landscapes\nEmily Lindsey\nTar Pits/UCLA\n\nThe relative roles late-Quaternary climate changes and human actions played in the extinction of most of the world’s large mammals at the end of the Ice Age have been long-debated.  One key challenge is that the fossil record in most regions is too poorly-constrained to precisely pinpoint the disappearance times of different species and align these with environmental and anthropogenic phenomena.  In this talk\, I will describe how a large-scale\, interdisciplinary effort brought together several remarkable records from southern California to unveil a regional story of fire\, extinction\, and ecosystem state shift. This discovery has significant implications for global megafaunal extinctions research as well as modern conservation efforts.
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/emily-lindsey-dawn-of-the-anthropocene/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
CATEGORIES:2024,Past Presentation,Presentation
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231204T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231204T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225309
CREATED:20230925T205931Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231206T010358Z
UID:6870-1701691200-1701696600@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Nikhil Chaudhary - Hunter-gatherers\, evolutionary mismatch and mental disorder
DESCRIPTION:Hunter-gatherers\, evolutionary mismatch and mental disorder\nNikhil Chaudhary\nLeverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies\, University of Cambridge\n*Note: This speaker will be remote; However\, we will still be meeting in Haines 352 to watch the talk and conduct the Q&A. \nHumans lived as hunter-gatherers for the vast majority of our evolutionary history\, therefore it has been proposed that aspects of our psychology may be adapted to a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. There are several assumptions in this proposal\, however\, research with contemporary hunter-gatherers can offer a useful starting point for exploring the potential for evolutionary mismatch—when an organism faces conditions that differ from those that some trait of the organism is adapted to\, resulting in pathology or maladaptation. Drawing on my fieldwork and previous research\, I will discuss how discordances between the social organisation of hunter-gatherers and WEIRD (Western\, Educated\, Industrialised\, Rich\, Democratic) societies may affect vulnerability to mental disorders in the latter. I will pay particularly attention to differences in residence patterns\, hierarchical structures\, and social networks. I will also discuss differences in childcare strategies and their implications for psychological development.
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/nikhil-chaudhary-hunter-gatherers-evolutionary-mismatch-and-mental-disorder/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
CATEGORIES:2023,Past Presentation,Presentation
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231127T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231127T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225309
CREATED:20230925T174614Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231128T185939Z
UID:6867-1701086400-1701091800@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Theo Samore - Traditionalism\, pathogen avoidance\, and competing tradeoffs during a global pandemic
DESCRIPTION:Traditionalism\, pathogen avoidance\, and competing tradeoffs during a global pandemic\nTheo Samore\nUniversity of Otago\nIndividuals vary in the extent to which they embrace their society’s traditions\, as well as in the perception of threats as salient and necessitating mitigation. Traditionalism and threat sensitivity may be linked if—over evolutionary time—traditions offered avenues for reliably addressing threats\, either through instrumental and/or ritual and cooperative benefits. Alternatively\, if traditionalists are attuned to group-destabilizing threats\, they may also exhibit greater threat sensitivity in certain domains. These possibilities – which are not mutually exclusive – suggest that greater traditionalism may associate with stronger mitigating responses toward some threats. However\, threat-avoidance motivations can conflict with competing priorities and epistemic commitments in the real world. The COVID-19 pandemic represented a moment in time in which people across the world undertook costly threat-mitigating behaviors\, providing an important test of the traditionalism-threat avoidance relationship under complex real-world conditions. We investigated the relationship between COVID-19 precautions\, traditionalism\, and perceptions of competing tradeoffs in both the U.S. and a large 27-country cross-cultural sample. Results indicated that\, across study sites\, traditionalism tended to positively correlate with behaviors intended to mitigate the threat of COVID-19. Further\, despite possible epistemic conflict between religion and science\, individuals tended to report engaging in both scientifically and religiously rooted precautions. Nevertheless\, at some study sites\, the relationship between public health precautions and traditionalism was suppressed by competing priorities\, such as lower trust in scientists and greater concerns about personal liberties.
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/theo-samore-traditionalism-pathogen-avoidance-and-competing-tradeoffs-during-a-global-pandemic/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
CATEGORIES:2023,Past Presentation,Presentation
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231113T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231113T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225309
CREATED:20230925T174330Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231115T031023Z
UID:6864-1699876800-1699882200@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Zarin Machanda - Social aging in wild chimpanzees
DESCRIPTION:Social aging in wild chimpanzees\nZarin Machanda\nTufts University\, Departments of Anthropology and Biology\nHumans are living longer lives than ever before and so it is critical to understand the process of aging. It has become increasingly recognized that successful aging is not just about physical health but also about our social lives. Chimpanzees are our closest living relative and lead long and complex lives making them an ideal model to better understand our own patterns of social aging. In this talk\, Dr. Machanda will discuss the patterns of social aging in wild chimpanzees from her decades-long research project studying the Kanyawara chimpanzees living in Kibale National Park\, Uganda.
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/zarin-machanda-social-aging-in-wild-chimpanzees/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
CATEGORIES:2023,Past Presentation,Presentation
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231106T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231106T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225310
CREATED:20230925T174221Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231107T232918Z
UID:6861-1699272000-1699277400@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Michael Wells - Exploration of human genetic and phenotypic diversity through cell villages
DESCRIPTION:Exploration of human genetic and phenotypic diversity through cell villages\nMichael Wells\nAssistant Professor\, UCLA Department of Human Genetics\nHuman genome variation contributes to diversity in neurodevelopmental outcomes and vulnerabilities; recognizing the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms will require scalable approaches. Here\, I will describe a ‘‘cell village’’ experimental platform we used to analyze genetic\, molecular\, and phenotypic heterogeneity across neural progenitor cells from 44 human donors cultured in a shared in vitro environment using algorithms (Dropulation and Census-seq) to assign cells and phenotypes to individual donors. Through rapid induction of human stem cell-derived neural progenitor cells\, measurements of natural genetic variation\, and CRISPR-Cas9 genetic perturbations\, we identified a common variant that regulates antiviral IFITM3 expression and explains most inter-individual variation in susceptibility to the Zika virus. We also detected expression QTLs corresponding to GWAS loci for brain traits and discovered novel disease-relevant regulators of progenitor proliferation and differentiation such as CACHD1. The village approach provides scalable ways to elucidate the effects of genes and genetic variation on cellular phenotypes\, and can help elucidate the mechanisms guiding brain development and associated diseases.
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/michael-wells-exploration-of-human-genetic-and-phenotypic-diversity-through-cell-villages/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
CATEGORIES:2023,Past Presentation,Presentation
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231030T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231030T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225310
CREATED:20230925T174018Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231107T233018Z
UID:6856-1698667200-1698672600@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Katie Karlsgodt - Reward and Cognitive Function in Adolescent Psychopathology
DESCRIPTION:Reward and Cognitive Function in Adolescent Psychopathology\nKatie Karlsgodt\nUCLA Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry\nAdolescence is a time when exploration\, and even risk-taking\, can be considered an adaptive part of the typical developmental experience. This period of enhanced risk-taking allows for new learning\, particularly about the social world\, and is a critical part of establishing independence. Risk-taking is a complex behavior\, often considered to rely on many factors\, including reward sensitivity and reward behaviors\, response to punishment\, and executive function skills that allow the balancing of competing factors and the selection of choices. However\,  in addition to being a time of exploration and independence\, adolescence is also the period of onset for many psychological disorders including schizophrenia and depression. Many such disorders include alterations in both reward and executive function\, which has the potential to impact learning and exploration during this time\, with ultimate effects on social function\, and long term daily life function. In this talk\, I will address the existing literature in this area\, recent relevant work from my lab on reward function\, adolescence\, and psychopathology\, and future directions.
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/katie-karlsgodt-reward-and-cognitive-function-in-adolescent-psychopathology/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
CATEGORIES:2023,Past Presentation,Presentation
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231023T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231023T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225310
CREATED:20230925T173712Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231024T232020Z
UID:6851-1698062400-1698067800@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Bridget Callaghan - Intergenerational impacts of adversity on mind-body health: pathways through interoception and the gut-brain axis
DESCRIPTION:Intergenerational impacts of adversity on mind-body health – pathways through interoception and the gut-brain axis\nBridget Callaghan\nAssistant Professor\, Department of Psychology\, UCLA\nChildren’s early experiences with caregivers impact their mental and physical health across the lifespan. Such early caregiving experiences can become biologically and psychologically embedded within an individual\, contributing to intergenerational transmission of adversity. My research program investigates the neurobiological mechanisms via which early caregiving experiences impact children’s mental and physical health\, and how those experiences may be transmitted to impact future generations. I will present data from several studies demonstrating how early life adversity gets ‘under the skin’ to influence children’s emotional health and physical health\, paying particular attention to gastrointestinal distress\, which is tightly connected to emotional wellbeing. Zooming in on the gastrointestinal and oral microbiomes\, I will show how adversity impacts biological systems tied to emotional and physical wellbeing. Finally\, I will show that mind-body adaptations to the state of pregnancy\, through changing interoception\, may be one pathway through which experiences of adversity are perpetuated across generations.
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/bridget-callaghan-intergenerational-impacts-of-adversity-on-mind-body-health-pathways-through-interoception-and-the-gut-brain-axis/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
CATEGORIES:2023,Past Presentation,Presentation
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231016T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231016T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225310
CREATED:20230921T222739Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231019T201655Z
UID:6846-1697457600-1697463000@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Caleb Finch - The Gero-Exposome\, a life history approach to diversity of human longevity
DESCRIPTION:The Gero-Exposome\, a life history approach to diversity of human longevity\nCaleb Finch\, PhD\nARCO and Kieschnick Professor\, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology\, USC\nFrom egg to exit\, human life history is determined by environmental interactions with our genome (GxE). The Gero-Exposome provides a framework for analyzing GxE interactions with life style\, biomes\, and systemic factors. Lifespans difference of 15 years across the socio-economic status (SES) have corresponding differences in the onset of cardiovascular disease and dementia. Moreover\, SES influences the development of brain and vasculature\, by greater gestational exposure to air pollution and cigarette smoke in low SES. Multiple postnatal phases have environmental influences throughout the lifespan. As an experimental model for these complexities\, mice were gestationally exposed to air pollution. Young adults had more body fat and glucose intolerance\, while brains had lower levels of hypothalamic neuropeptides and neuronal stem cells in the hippocampus. These findings are relevant to the multi-generational stability of SES differences in health and lifespan\, for which the GxE basis is undefined.
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/caleb-finch-the-gero-exposome-a-life-history-approach-to-diversity-of-human-longevity/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
CATEGORIES:2023,Past Presentation,Presentation
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231002T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231002T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225310
CREATED:20230921T195335Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231019T201745Z
UID:6840-1696248000-1696253400@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Barbara Natterson-Horowitz - The 600-million-year history of human affective disorder
DESCRIPTION:The 600-million-year history of human affective disorder\nBarbara Natterson-Horowitz\nDivision of Cardiology\, UCLA School of Medicine\nDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology\, UCLA\nDepartment of Human Evolutionary Biology\, Harvard University\nDepartment of Global Health and Social Medicine\, Harvard Medical School\nFifty years ago this October\, the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to three animal behaviorists based on the belief that the emerging field of ethology could transform our understanding of human biobehavioral health. Unfortunately\, the promise was not realized within the lifetimes of the scientists themselves. In the decades that followed\, advances in biological psychiatry challenged psychoanalysis as the singular source of explanatory insights into mental illness. Regrettably\, highly reductive biological approaches that lack a broader\, integrated organismal and ecological context have not led to much needed transformational knowledge. \nToday\, broadly comparative and ecologically-informed studies of animal behavior are revealing: 1) the ancient origins of human affective systems and affective disorders in the social brain networks of early social animals\, 2) the important links between brain biology promoting adaptive behavior in chronically subordinated animals and neurovegetative symptoms in depressed human beings\, and 3) evidence that withdrawn behavior\, anhedonia\, and reduced cognitive and motoric activity in chronic subordinates increases survival in certain individuals. Recent studies connecting social defeat to severe depression point\, once again\, to animal behavior as a source of insights into human mental health. In fact\, phylogenetic perspectives can provide much needed scaffolding on which to layer\, with context\, the rapidly growing body of reductive knowledge about the human brain in health and illness. \nDr Natterson-Horowitz’s lecture will first survey the historical and scientific settings in which both insights were recognized and overlooked. She will then present an up-to-date summary of insights into human affective disorders emerging at the intersection of behavioral ecology\, neurobiology\, psychopharmacology\, and evolutionary biology.
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/barbara-natterson-horowitz-the-600-million-year-history-of-human-affective-disorder/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
CATEGORIES:2023,Past Presentation,Presentation
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230605T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230605T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225310
CREATED:20221119T145705Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20221119T145811Z
UID:6671-1685966400-1685971800@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Laurel Fogarty: Cultural rescue: avoiding extinction with gene-culture coevolution
DESCRIPTION:Dr. Laurel Fogarty\, Senior Scientist\, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology \nThis talk will be presented via Zoom. \nCultural rescue: avoiding extinction with gene-culture coevolution.  \nAbstract: It is often suggested that the adaptability and success of human populations is a direct result of our sophisticated cultural abilities. Previously\, we have suggested that in cases where lethal environmental shifts cause population decline\, culture may be able to rescue an otherwise doomed population — in other words cause a ‘cultural population rescue’. Innovation and cultural transmission together might provide behavioural adaptations that could compensate for the detrimental effect of an environmental change. To the extent that such innovations could spread and be maintained through cultural transmission\, such a process could indefinitely compensate for novel harsh environmental conditions. \nHowever\, such a scenario may be rare and culture might do more. Organisms with large body sizes and long generation times\, like humans\, are not typically thought to be able to undergo true ‘evolutionary rescue’\, where compensatory genetic mutations arise and allow the demographic recovery of a declining population. As a consequence of long waiting times for beneficial mutations\, where generation times are long\, and population sizes are relatively small\, populations are overwhelmingly likely to die out before such mutations arise and spread to high frequency. We suggest that where culture does not lead to a direct ‘cultural rescue’\, it might nevertheless slow population decline providing time in which compensatory genetic mutations may arise. This mechanism seems plausible. However\, the key to understanding the importance of culture in human population survival lies in describing how frequently such culturally-facilitated evolutionary rescues could occur and under what circumstances they are plausible\, likely\, or impossible. \nIn this talk I will describe a mathematical model of evolutionary rescue that allows for direct gene-culture interactive effects on biological fitness\, and examine the probability of population rescue in the presence and absence of culture. \nZoom: https://ucla.zoom.us/j/92826436236?pwd=SytQNTNPSWdwaDNlTm05d2srdXNHUT09 \nMeeting ID: 928 2643 6236 \nPasscode: BEC
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/laurel-fogarty-cultural-rescue-avoiding-extinction-with-gene-culture-coevolution/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230522T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230522T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225310
CREATED:20230306T162603Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230317T131846Z
UID:6780-1684756800-1684762200@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Caroline Schuppli: Skill acquisition and life history: towards a better understanding of cognitive evolution.
DESCRIPTION:Dr. Caroline Schuppli\, Max Planck Research Group leader\, MPI for Animal Behavior \nhttps://www.ab.mpg.de/person/110356/2736 \nThis talk will be presented via Zoom. \nTitle: Skill acquisition and life history: towards a better understanding of cognitive evolution \nAbstract: Cognitive capacity gets selected for via skills and abilities which provide individuals with fitness benefits. However\, strikingly\, the larger brained a species is\, the more incompetent its infants are at birth and the more they must learn to become functioning adults. This suggests that especially for large-brained species\, the developmental construction of intelligence critically depends on inputs during ontogeny. Therefore\, to understand the evolution of cognition\, we need to look at how skills and abilities develop in individuals. To shed light on these questions\, we conduct long-term research on orangutans as well as look at broader patterns across species using comparative analyses. Our results suggest that that extended developmental periods during which skills can develop as well as learning  mechanisms that allow for efficient skill acquisition are crucial for the evolution of high-level cognition. \nZoom link: https://ucla.zoom.us/j/92826436236?pwd=SytQNTNPSWdwaDNlTm05d2srdXNHUT09 \nMeeting ID: 928 2643 6236 \nPasscode: BEC
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/kristine-chua-title-tba/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230515T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230515T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225310
CREATED:20230306T161519Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230309T133313Z
UID:6764-1684152000-1684157400@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Nicole Thompson-Gonzalez: Social paths to health and fitness in primates
DESCRIPTION:Dr. Nicole Thompson-Gonzalez\, Assistant Professor\, Dept of Integrative Anthropological Sciences\, University of California-Santa Barbara \nhttp://www.nicolethompsongonzalez.com/ \nThis talk will be presented live as well as via Zoom. \nTitle: Social paths to health and fitness in primates \nAbstract: Friendly social ties are important means to monopolize resources\, buffer risks\, and in turn increase health and fitness across an array of social animals. Although many studies suggest that more and stronger ties are better\, this is not always the case. The effectiveness of social strategies appears to vary by species ecology\, reproductive priorities\, and age. Here\, I discuss the variability of effective social strategies among adult females of one monkey species\, how social ties change with age in adult male and female chimpanzees\, and the relevance of both to human sociality and aging. I also discuss what new non-invasive measures we can use to evaluate health in the wild. I conclude with ongoing and future work that examines the influences of social ties on healthy aging and specific age-related disease. \nZoom link: https://ucla.zoom.us/j/92826436236?pwd=SytQNTNPSWdwaDNlTm05d2srdXNHUT09 \nMeeting ID: 928 2643 6236 \nPasscode: BEC
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/nicole-thompson-gonzalez-social-paths-to-health-and-fitness-in-primates/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230508T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230508T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225310
CREATED:20230306T162338Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230504T183327Z
UID:6777-1683547200-1683552600@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Renee Hagen\, Common behaviors and moral codes: Applying cultural evolution and sexual conflict theory to model the dynamics of social norms
DESCRIPTION:Renee Hagen\, Ph.D. Candidate\, Dept. of Anthropology\, UCLA \nhttps://reneehagen.com/ \nTitle: Common behaviors and moral codes: Applying cultural evolution and sexual conflict theory to model the dynamics of social norms\n \nAbstract: \nHow do new social norms spread in social groups\, and how are norms maintained or change over time?  I will present two studies that investigate these questions by using evolutionary perspectives to understand cultural change. In one study I apply the framework of cultural evolution theory to examine what drives change in perinatal care norms among Himba women in the Kunene region of Namibia. Access to formal medical care is on the rise in this region\, and medical workers regularly visit communities to promote WHO-recommended perinatal care practices. Based on interviews with one hundred Himba mothers\, we examine how perceptions of group preferences\, prestige ascribed to outgroup conformers\, interaction with the outgroup and access to resources affect norm adoption. Here I found that women who perceive medical recommendations as common in their group prefer\, plan and practice these recommendations more often themselves. The observed shift toward medical recommendations regarding birth location and contraception use that was in line with conformity bias predictions. In another study\, I look at gender norms from a fitness perspective and ask why people sometimes support norms that seem to be against their own self-interest. Specifically I examine women’s support of patriarchal gender norms in China\, Taiwan\, Japan and South Korea\, and test whether their anticipated inclusive fitness benefits are reflected in their stated attitudes. I find that that part of the variation in attitudes towards gender norms can be explained through varying interests in such norms depending on gender and age. In contrast with previous studies\, I find little evidence that having more sons leads to higher support for patriarchal norms; only in China and South Korea is having more sons linked with a stronger son-preference\, but having more sons is unrelated to other gender norms. Higher social status correlates with egalitarian attitudes more so for women than for men. I suggest that higher social status might decrease the costs for women to contest the dominant gender ideology of their community. \nThis talk will be presented live as well as via Zoom. \nZoom link: https://ucla.zoom.us/j/92826436236?pwd=SytQNTNPSWdwaDNlTm05d2srdXNHUT09 \nMeeting ID: 928 2643 6236 \nPasscode: BEC
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/renee-hagen-title-tba/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230501T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230501T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225310
CREATED:20230306T162159Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230321T161252Z
UID:6773-1682942400-1682947800@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:John Bunce and Caissa Revilla Minaya: Cultural dynamics in an Indigenous Amazonian population: An exploration of intra- and inter-ethnic causal mechanisms
DESCRIPTION:Dr. John Bunce & Dr. Caissa Revilla Minaya\, Culture\, Environment and Health Research Group\, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology \nhttps://www.eva.mpg.de/ecology/projects-and-research-groups/culture-environment-and-health-research-group/ \nTitle: Cultural dynamics in an Indigenous Amazonian population: An exploration of intra- and inter-ethnic causal mechanisms  \nAbstract: For several decades\, evolutionary social science theorists have devoted considerable attention to exploring various mechanisms that influence the adaptive\, and non-adaptive\, dynamics of human culture. However\, less attention has focused on the empirical study of such mechanisms in real-world human populations\, particularly in contexts of disempowered minorities\, for whom cultural change may co-occur with a desire to maintain an ethnic identity distinct from that of powerful neighboring groups. Here\, we present our recent efforts to better understand mechanisms driving cultural dynamics in an Indigenous Matsigenka population in a remote region of Amazonian Peru. Caissa uses Bayesian item-response theory models to characterize variation within the complex set of dietary restrictions (taboos) practiced by Matsigenka parents of young children. She combines this analysis with insights from extensive participant observation to develop a theory for the endogenous emergence of some such cultural practices among the Matsigenka. John uses Bayesian analysis of interview data to explore how cultural norms in domains such as child-rearing\, fairness\, and inheritance are influenced by inter-ethnic interactions between Matsigenka and neighboring Mestizos. He uses a longitudinal quantitative and participatory study of norm change among Matsigenka children attending Mestizo-run boarding schools to narrow the range of possible mechanisms responsible for generating individual-level variation in such ethnic-typical beliefs. Together\, we show how insights gained through both quantitative and qualitative empirical work can inform general theories of the intra- and inter-ethnic causal mechanisms influencing cultural dynamics in our species. \nThis talk will be presented via Zoom only. \nZoom link: https://ucla.zoom.us/j/92826436236?pwd=SytQNTNPSWdwaDNlTm05d2srdXNHUT09 \nMeeting ID: 928 2643 6236 \nPasscode: BEC
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/john-bunce-and-caissa-revilla-minaya-title-tba/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230424T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230424T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225310
CREATED:20230306T161933Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230420T022613Z
UID:6770-1682337600-1682343000@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Kristine Chua: Using Evolutionary and Biocultural Perspectives in the Study of Human Pregnancy in Diverse Communities
DESCRIPTION:Kristine Chua\, Postdoctoral Scholar\, Integrative Anthropological Sciences\, UCSB \nThis talk will be presented live as well as via Zoom. \nTitle: Using Evolutionary and Biocultural Perspectives in the Study of Human Pregnancy in Diverse Communities \n\nAbstract: Models of the social determinants of health have proliferated in recent years across multiple disciplines. Yet\, this surge in the literature within a small timeframe has led to ambiguities. Particularly unclear are the social determinants that should be focused upon in clinical applications. These and other important questions remain unresolved. For instance\, how do cultural norms\, political conditions\, and biological mechanisms interact to affect health? How are developmental trajectories facultatively calibrated to environments\, and how do these trajectories later shape health outcomes? To address these questions\, I work from a biocultural anthropology and evolutionary perspective that integrates evolutionary\, cultural\, and biological theories that offer insights into health disparities. I will describe my work that examines how pregnant Filipina and Latina American mothers respond to stress from their socio-political environment\, pathways for embodiment\, and my plans for extending this work.\nZoom link: https://ucla.zoom.us/j/92826436236?pwd=SytQNTNPSWdwaDNlTm05d2srdXNHUT09 \nMeeting ID: 928 2643 6236 \nPasscode: BEC
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/andrew-smith-title-tba/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230417T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230417T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225310
CREATED:20220919T203311Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230330T194317Z
UID:6624-1681732800-1681738200@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Kim Hill: Human Uniqueness and the flow of goods and services in Samal “sea nomads” of the Philippines
DESCRIPTION:Dr. Kim Hill\, Professor\, School of Human Evolution and Social Change\, Arizona State University \nThis talk will be presented in person\, as well as via Zoom. \nDr. Hill will be presenting the Frank Marlowe Memorial Lecture for this year. \nHuman Uniqueness and the flow of goods and services in Samal “sea nomads” of the Philippines \nAbstract:  Humans are an extreme outlier species by many objective measures. How did we get to be so different from the other 9 million eukaryotic species on the planet?  Decades of research suggests that even in the most traditional human societies a combination of interacting factors makes us unique:  culture\, cooperation\, cognition\, communication.  This also lead to the co-evolution of a very unique life history\, that required economic interdependence in order to be successful.  In this talk I present new research from Sama “sea nomads” that examines transfers of material goods and services between households.  The pattern shows again the amazing interdependence of settlement households in order to successfully replicate.  We find that reciprocity seems to be the single most important driver of cooperation\, although reciprocity partners are preferentially close kin.  Age differences structure many types of helping that appear to be examples of cooperative helping to successfully raise multiple dependent juveniles. \nZoom: https://ucla.zoom.us/j/92826436236?pwd=SytQNTNPSWdwaDNlTm05d2srdXNHUT09 \nMeeting ID: 928 2643 6236 \nPasscode: BEC
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/human-uniqueness-and-the-study-of-interdependence-in-samal-sea-nomads-of-the-philippines/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230410T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230410T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225310
CREATED:20230306T161725Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230410T164958Z
UID:6767-1681128000-1681133400@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Kristine Chua\, - talk CANCELLED due to illness
DESCRIPTION:Kristine Chua\, Postdoctoral Scholar\, Integrative Anthropological  Sciences\, UCSB \nttps://boddylab.com/people/ \nTitle: Using evolutionary and biocultural perspectives in the study of human pregnancy in diverse communities \nAbstract: \nModels of the social determinants of health have proliferated in recent years across multiple disciplines. Yet\, this surge in the literature within a small timeframe has led to ambiguities. Particularly unclear are the social determinants that should be focused upon in clinical applications. These and other important questions remain unresolved. For instance\, how do cultural norms\, political conditions\, and biological mechanisms interact to affect health? How are developmental trajectories facultatively calibrated to environments\, and how do these trajectories later shape health outcomes? To address these questions\, I work from a biocultural anthropology and evolutionary perspective that integrates evolutionary\, cultural\, and biological theories that offer insights into health disparities. I will describe my work that examines how pregnant Filipina and Latina American mothers respond to stress from their socio-political environment\, pathways for embodiment\, and my plans for extending this work. \nZoom link: https://ucla.zoom.us/j/92826436236?pwd=SytQNTNPSWdwaDNlTm05d2srdXNHUT09 \nMeeting ID: 928 2643 6236 \nPasscode: BEC
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/theo-samore-title-tba/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230403T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230403T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225310
CREATED:20230306T161036Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230306T161036Z
UID:6760-1680523200-1680528600@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Richard McElreath: The Problem with Cultural Evolution.
DESCRIPTION:Dr. Richard McElreath\, Director of the Department of Human Behavior\, Ecology\, and Culture\, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology \nTitle: The Problem with Cultural Evolution \nhttps://www.eva.mpg.de/ecology/index/ \nAbstract: The field of cultural evolution\, like any rapidly growing field\, has some pruning to do. In this talk I will outline some problems with the field and suggest some paths forward. Parts of cultural evolution are an undisciplined bandwagon characterized by vague theorizing or even worse no theorizing at all. It is methodologically chaotic\, and links between theory and evidence are often more metaphorical than logical. Some of the most prominent cultural evolution research is exaggerated story-telling sinking on a swamp of illogical and opaque data analysis. The field has tremendous potential as a scientific framework for the study of animal and human societies. But it must invest more in self-criticism and rigor\, if it is going to do more than produce entertainment for the college-educated. \nZoom link: https://ucla.zoom.us/j/92826436236?pwd=SytQNTNPSWdwaDNlTm05d2srdXNHUT09 \nMeeting ID: 928 2643 6236 \nPasscode: BEC
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/richard-mcelreath-the-problem-with-cultural-evolution/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230313T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230313T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225310
CREATED:20221119T165035Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230127T163047Z
UID:6704-1678708800-1678714200@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Tom Kraft: Modeling the dynamics of infectious disease transmission in a small-scale subsistence population
DESCRIPTION:Dr. Tom Kraft \nDept. of Anthropology\, University of Utah \nhttps://thomaskraft.weebly.com/ \nTitle: Modeling the dynamics of infectious disease transmission in a small-scale subsistence population \nAbstract:​​​\nInfectious disease dynamics are governed by patterns of contact that vary by geography\, social organization\, mobility\, network structure\, and cultural factors. Based on speculation about these parameters in contemporary subsistence populations\, voluntary collective isolation (VCI) has been proposed to mitigate the impact of global disease transmission into relatively isolated\, largely self-sufficient\, small-scale indigenous groups\, most recently with respect to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. To assess the vulnerability of small-scale populations to epidemics and the viability of VCI and other interventions\, I simulated disease transmission among Amazonian forager-horticulturalists (Tsimane) using a stochastic network metapopulation model parameterized with a wealth of high-resolution data on social behavior\, mobility\, and population structure. Findings indicate that relative isolation and Tsimane social organization offer little protection from disease introduction and widespread transmission\, even in the most remote communities\, and that VCI is unlikely to be effective under contemporary socioeconomic conditions. The occurrence of a local SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in this region in mid-2020 afforded an opportunity to test this model; comparison of model results to empirical outcomes measured using serological assays shows good model fit amidst very high rates of transmission. These results demonstrate the applied utility of anthropological data\, and suggest that VCI alone is unlikely to be a viable intervention strategy. Pandemic policies should instead aim to protect small-scale communities by delivering distributed health care resources across remote areas. \nZoom: https://ucla.zoom.us/j/92826436236?pwd=SytQNTNPSWdwaDNlTm05d2srdXNHUT09 \nMeeting ID: 928 2643 6236 \nPasscode: BEC
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/tom-kraft-modeling-the-dynamics-of-infectious-disease-transmission-in-a-small-scale-subsistence-population/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230306T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230306T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T225310
CREATED:20221119T164722Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230127T163610Z
UID:6701-1678104000-1678109400@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Sean Prall: Perceptions that matter: using peer evaluations and dyadic data to explore behavior in rural Namibia
DESCRIPTION:Dr. Sean Prall \nDept. of Anthropology\, University of Missouri \nhttps://sprall.github.io/ \nTitle: Perceptions that matter: using peer evaluations and dyadic data to explore behavior in rural Namibia \nAbstract: Reputation and social status are central to research on mating\, social learning\, and cooperation. However\, evolutionary social scientists face significant methodological difficulties in accurately measuring people’s perceptions of others. As a result\, most studies in anthropology and psychology rely on hypotheticals or experimental paradigms in lab-based settings. While this work has yielded insight into how people think about these domains\, these approaches are limited in their ecological validity\, ability to capture a dynamic and competitive social environment\, and may recapitulate social norms instead of yield novel information about social dynamics. An alternative approach\, which I will explore in this talk\, is the use of dyadic peer evaluations. Using two unique datasets\, each with more than 10\,000 ratings from a single community in Namibia\, I will explore two case studies: 1) mating market competition\, and 2) women’s status. I will highlight the benefits and potential drawbacks of dyadic peer evaluations and explore how these methods can be used as part of a larger toolkit to explore cultural and behavioral attributes of human populations. \nZoom: https://ucla.zoom.us/j/92826436236?pwd=SytQNTNPSWdwaDNlTm05d2srdXNHUT09 \nMeeting ID: 928 2643 6236 \nPasscode: BEC
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/sean-prall-perceptions-that-matter-using-peer-evaluations-and-dyadic-data-to-explore-behavior-in-rural-namibia/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
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