Dr. Caroline Schuppli, Max Planck Research Group leader, MPI for Animal Behavior https://www.ab.mpg.de/person/110356/2736 This talk will be presented via Zoom. Title: Skill acquisition and life history: towards a better understanding of cognitive evolution Abstract: 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 […]

Dr. Nicole Thompson-Gonzalez, Assistant Professor, Dept of Integrative Anthropological Sciences, University of California-Santa Barbara http://www.nicolethompsongonzalez.com/ This talk will be presented live as well as via Zoom. Title: Social paths to health and fitness in primates Abstract: Friendly social ties are important means to monopolize resources, buffer risks, and in turn increase health and fitness across […]

Renee Hagen, Ph.D. Candidate, Dept. of Anthropology, UCLA https://reneehagen.com/ Title: Common behaviors and moral codes: Applying cultural evolution and sexual conflict theory to model the dynamics of social norms Abstract: How 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 […]