Cognitive and Cultural Ecology

Our research explores the interactions between cognition, sociality and ecology, mostly in birds. We are especially interested in the emergent properties of these interaction- social networks, animal culture and cultural evolution. Recent work has explored the spread of innovation across social and geographic networks, and how cultures change over time in response to social and environmental drivers.

Head of group: Prof. Dr. Lucy Aplin

Research themes

• Transmission dynamics on social networks
• Culture and Cultural Evolution in Birds
• Urban cognitive ecology Social Cognition
• The evolution of cognition in parrots