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Scars for survival: high cost male initiation rites are strongly associated with desert habitat in Pama-Nyungan Australia (2024)
Journal Article
Learmouth, D., Layton, R., & Tehrani, J. (2024). Scars for survival: high cost male initiation rites are strongly associated with desert habitat in Pama-Nyungan Australia. Evolution and Human Behavior, 45(2), 193-202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2024.02.003

Costly ritual behaviours have frequently been of interest to evolutionary researchers seeking to understand whether they have an adaptive benefit. Here we examine the costliness of initiation rituals across a large group of hunter-gather societies in... Read More about Scars for survival: high cost male initiation rites are strongly associated with desert habitat in Pama-Nyungan Australia.

Cinderella’s Family Tree. A Phylomemetic Case Study of ATU 510/511 (2023)
Journal Article
Sakamoto Martini, G., Kendal, J., & Tehrani, J. J. (2023). Cinderella’s Family Tree. A Phylomemetic Case Study of ATU 510/511. Fabula: Journal of Folktale Studies, 64(1-2), 7-30. https://doi.org/10.1515/fabula-2023-0002

This case study contributes to recent attempts to apply “phylomemetic” methods derived from computational biology to oral traditions, where the aim is to trace the mutation and diversification of folk narratives as they get passed on from generation... Read More about Cinderella’s Family Tree. A Phylomemetic Case Study of ATU 510/511.

The Cultural Transmission and Evolution of Folk Narratives (2023)
Book Chapter
Tehrani, J. (2023). The Cultural Transmission and Evolution of Folk Narratives. In J. Tehrani, J. Kendal, & R. Kendal (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Cultural Evolution (C39S1-C39P96). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198869252.013.39

Folk narratives—such as fairy tales, legends, and fables—are products of tradition, rather than individual authors. As they get passed on from person to person and from generation to generation new variants evolve, some of which catch on and generate... Read More about The Cultural Transmission and Evolution of Folk Narratives.

Quantifying quality: The impact of measures of school quality on children's academic achievement across diverse societies (2023)
Journal Article
Rawlings, B. S., Davis, H. E., Anum, A., Burger, O., Chen, L., Morales, J. C. C., …Legare, C. H. (2023). Quantifying quality: The impact of measures of school quality on children's academic achievement across diverse societies. Developmental Science, e13434. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.13434

Recent decades have seen a rapid acceleration in global participation in formal education, due to worldwide initiatives aimed to provide school access to all children. Research in high income countries has shown that school quality indicators have a... Read More about Quantifying quality: The impact of measures of school quality on children's academic achievement across diverse societies.

Group size and mating system predict sex differences in vocal fundamental frequency in anthropoid primates (2023)
Journal Article
Aung, T., Hill, A. K., Pfefferle, D., McLester, E., Fuller, J., Lawrence, J. M., …Puts, D. A. (2023). Group size and mating system predict sex differences in vocal fundamental frequency in anthropoid primates. Nature Communications, 14(1), Article 4069. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39535-w

Vocalizations differ substantially between the sexes in many primates, and low-frequency male vocalizations may be favored by sexual selection because they intimidate rivals and/or attract mates. Sexual dimorphism in fundamental frequency may be more... Read More about Group size and mating system predict sex differences in vocal fundamental frequency in anthropoid primates.

Cultural niche construction with application to fertility control: A model for education and social transmission of contraceptive use (2023)
Journal Article
Denton, K. K., Kendal, J. R., Ihara, Y., & Feldman, M. W. (2023). Cultural niche construction with application to fertility control: A model for education and social transmission of contraceptive use. Theoretical Population Biology, 153, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tpb.2023.06.001

The evolution of a cultural trait may be affected by niche construction, or changes in the selective environment of that trait due to the inheritance of other cultural traits that make up a cultural background. This study investigates the evolution o... Read More about Cultural niche construction with application to fertility control: A model for education and social transmission of contraceptive use.

Estimating mesocarnivore abundance on commercial farmland using distance sampling with camera traps (2023)
Journal Article
McKaughan, J., Stephens, P., & Hill, R. (2023). Estimating mesocarnivore abundance on commercial farmland using distance sampling with camera traps. Ecological Solutions and Evidence, 4(2), Article e12229. https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.12229

1. Mesocarnivores are of particular interest in wildlife management. Their adaptability makes them a focus of public attention globally, as negative interactions with people occur regularly, but their importance to wider ecosystem function is increas... Read More about Estimating mesocarnivore abundance on commercial farmland using distance sampling with camera traps.

Simulation and social network analysis provide insight into the acquisition of tool behaviour in hybrid macaques (2023)
Journal Article
Reeves, J. S., Tan, A., Malaivijitnond, S., & Luncz, L. V. (2023). Simulation and social network analysis provide insight into the acquisition of tool behaviour in hybrid macaques. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 290(1995), Article 20222276. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.2276

The pathways through which primates acquire skills are a central focus of cultural evolution studies. The roles of social and genetic inheritance processes in skill acquisition are often confounded by environmental factors. Hybrid macaques from Koram... Read More about Simulation and social network analysis provide insight into the acquisition of tool behaviour in hybrid macaques.

Beyond collective intelligence: Collective adaptation (2023)
Journal Article
Galesic, M., Barkoczi, D., Berdahl, A. M., Biro, D., Carbone, G., Giannoccaro, I., …Stein, D. L. (2023). Beyond collective intelligence: Collective adaptation. Journal of the Royal Society. Interface, 20(200), https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2022.0736

We develop a conceptual framework for studying collective adaptation in complex socio-cognitive systems, driven by dynamic interactions of social integration strategies, social environments and problem structures. Going beyond searching for ‘intellig... Read More about Beyond collective intelligence: Collective adaptation.

Peer learning and cultural evolution (2023)
Journal Article
Lew-Levy, S., Bos, W. V. D., Corriveau, K. H., Dutra, N. B., Dutra, N., Flynn, E. G., …Wood, L. (2023). Peer learning and cultural evolution. Child Development Perspectives, 17, 97-105. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12482

In this article, we integrate cultural evolutionary theory with empirical research from developmental psychology, cultural anthropology, and primatology to explore the role of peer learning in the development of complex instrumental skills and behavi... Read More about Peer learning and cultural evolution.

Chimpanzee communities differ in their inter- and intrasexual social relationships (2023)
Journal Article
Rawlings, B. S., van Leeuwen, E. J., & Davila-Ross, M. (2023). Chimpanzee communities differ in their inter- and intrasexual social relationships. Learning & Behavior, 51, 48-58. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13420-023-00570-8

Male and female human social bonding strategies are culturally shaped, in addition to being genetically rooted. Investigating nonhuman primate bonding strategies across sex groups allows researchers to assess whether, as with humans, they are shaped... Read More about Chimpanzee communities differ in their inter- and intrasexual social relationships.

The influence of task difficulty, social tolerance and model success on social learning in Barbary macaques (2023)
Journal Article
Garcia-Nisa, I., Evans, C., & Kendal, R. L. (2023). The influence of task difficulty, social tolerance and model success on social learning in Barbary macaques. Scientific Reports, 13, Article 1176. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-26699-6

Despite playing a pivotal role in the inception of animal culture studies, macaque social learning is surprisingly understudied. Social learning is important to survival and influenced by dominance and affiliation in social animals. Individuals gener... Read More about The influence of task difficulty, social tolerance and model success on social learning in Barbary macaques.

Model Selection in Occupancy Models: Inference versus Prediction (2023)
Journal Article
Stewart, P. S., Stephens, P. A., Hill, R. A., Whittingham, M. J., & Dawson, W. (2023). Model Selection in Occupancy Models: Inference versus Prediction. Ecology, 104(3), Article e3942. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3942

Occupancy models are a vital tool for ecologists studying the patterns and drivers of species occurrence, but their use often involves selecting among models with different sets of occupancy and detection covariates. The information-theoretic approac... Read More about Model Selection in Occupancy Models: Inference versus Prediction.

Human activities favour prolific life histories in both traded and introduced vertebrates (2023)
Journal Article
Street, S. E., Gutiérrez, J. S., Allen, W. L., & Capellini, I. (2023). Human activities favour prolific life histories in both traded and introduced vertebrates. Nature Communications, 14(1), https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-35765-6

Species’ life histories determine population demographics and thus the probability that introduced populations establish and spread. Life histories also influence which species are most likely to be introduced, but how such ‘introduction biases’ aris... Read More about Human activities favour prolific life histories in both traded and introduced vertebrates.

Between-group variation in production of pant-grunt vocalizations by wild bonobos (Pan paniscus) (2023)
Journal Article
Schamberg, I., Clay, Z., Townsend, S. W., & Surbeck, M. (2023). Between-group variation in production of pant-grunt vocalizations by wild bonobos (Pan paniscus). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 77(1), Article 14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-022-03285-4

The potential for aggression is inherent in social interaction, and strategies to reduce the costs of aggression are ubiquitous among group-living animals. One strategy employed by lower-ranking individuals in a variety of species is the production o... Read More about Between-group variation in production of pant-grunt vocalizations by wild bonobos (Pan paniscus).

Convergent evolution of elaborate nests as structural defences in birds (2022)
Journal Article
Street, S. E., Jaques, R., & De Silva, T. N. (2022). Convergent evolution of elaborate nests as structural defences in birds. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 289(1989), Article 20221734. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.1734

The pendent nests of some weaverbird and icterid species are among the most complex structures built by any animal, but why they have evolved remains to be explained. The precarious attachments and extended entrance tunnels characteristic of these ne... Read More about Convergent evolution of elaborate nests as structural defences in birds.

Toys as Teachers: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Object Use and Enskillment in Hunter--Gatherer Societies (2022)
Journal Article
Riede, F., Lew-Levy, S., Johannsen, N. N., Johannsen, N. N., Lavi, N., & Andersen, M. M. (2023). Toys as Teachers: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Object Use and Enskillment in Hunter--Gatherer Societies. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, 30, 32--63. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10816-022-09593-3

Studies of cultural transmission—whether approached by archaeological or ethnographic means—have made great strides in identifying formal teaching and learning arrangements, which in turn can be closely aligned with models of social learning. While n... Read More about Toys as Teachers: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Object Use and Enskillment in Hunter--Gatherer Societies.

The social learning and development of intra-and inter-ethnic sharing norms in the Congo Basin: A registered report protocol (2022)
Journal Article
Pope-Caldwell, S., Lew-Levy, S., Maurits, L., Boyette, A. H., Boyette, A. H., Ellis-Davies, K., …House, B. R. (2022). The social learning and development of intra-and inter-ethnic sharing norms in the Congo Basin: A registered report protocol. PLoS ONE, 17(11), e0276845. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0276845

Compared to other species, the extent of human cooperation is unparalleled. Such cooperation is coordinated between community members via social norms. Developmental research has demonstrated that very young children are sensitive to social norms, an... Read More about The social learning and development of intra-and inter-ethnic sharing norms in the Congo Basin: A registered report protocol.