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Cultural Evolution Society @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

CES Election Voting Deadline Extended! We’re extending the voting period for the 2026 CES officer elections! Voting now closes: 2nd October 2026 23:59 PDT If you haven’t voted yet, there’s still time to have your say and help shape the future of CES.

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Tim Waring @twaring.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

🚨 Applied Cultural Evolution Brownbag Series 🚨 Two inaugural discussions: Oct 7 What is (uniquely) applied cultural evolution? Caroline Graf, U. Zurich Dec 9 What can cultural evolution offer climate adaptation practitioners? Christine Lindell, World Vision Australia tinyurl.com/3st6zy79

A black and white image of a tattoo design featuring a human brain with wings pierced by two diagonal arrows over a flying banner that reads "Applied Cultural Evolutionists"

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Chris Krupenye @chriskrupenye.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

🚨 PhD position in human, nonhuman primate, and/or dog cognition! I am thrilled to be reviewing applicants this year for a new PhD student to join the Social & Cognitive Origins Group in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences at Johns Hopkins @jhu.edu @jhuartssciences.bsky.social 1/

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ASAB @asab.org · 04/09/2026

Had a great time at #ECBB2026? Don’t worry, there are more conferences coming! There’s #ASABWinter2026 (@asabpsgb2026.bsky.social, full but can still join online), #ASABSpring2027 (@asab-meetings.bsky.social) in Portsmouth & #Behaviour2027 (@behaviour2027.bsky.social) in Vienna Make sure to follow!

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Cultural Evolution Society @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

ACE Research Grant Alert 🚨! CES will give out two awards of up to $3000 each to support early career research projects in cultural evolution. The award is open to applicants worldwide, with an application deadline of October 9th 2026, 9:00 AM AoE. Applications: forms.gle/dsLdKQuNBH4W...

forms.gle

ACE Early Career Research Grants

CES will give out two awards of up to $3000 each to support research projects in cultural evolution. To learn more about the Advancing Cultural Evolution (ACE) initiative, see here. Deadline: Appli...

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Mason Youngblood @masonyoungblood.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

New tutorial preprint about simulation-based inference! Shows how to fit a cultural evo model to baby name data using approx Bayesian computation, random forests, and deep learning. Wrote for @eslr.bsky.social but wanted to share with others in @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social! :) osf.io/preprints/so...

osf.io

OSF

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Cultural Evolution Society @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

CE Job Alert! 🚨 Assistant Professor in Evolutionary Biology at Stanford University: culturalevolutionsociety.org/jobs/assista...

culturalevolutionsociety.org

Assistant Professor in Evolutionary Biology - Cultural Evolution Society

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Pat Savage @patrickesavage.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Pleased to see 27 commentaries to @manvir.bsky.social 's BBS article published, along with Manvir's response. Particularly appreciate his thoughtful engagement with my commentary, but they're all worth a good read and think! www.cambridge.org/core/journal... @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social

Goals, power, and selection: Foundational issues in the naturalistic study of culture
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 July 2026

Manvir Singh

Abstract
The commentators mostly endorsed the value of attending to goals and evaluations in explanations of cultural patterns, including super-attractors. They also voiced concerns about subjective selection, enumerated other factors influencing goals and evaluation, proposed additional super-attractors and processes that might shape them, and demanded greater engagement with power and influence. Many issues signal larger disagreements in the naturalistic study of culture. Here, I respond.

If lullabies and hero stories are super-attractors, what are music and language? Absolute universals imply genetic mechanisms
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 July 2026

Patrick E. Savage

Abstract
I praise the synthesis and expansion of attractor theory to explain statistical universals, but critique its failure to explain absolute universals. I agree that lullabies, hero stories, and shamanism are good candidates for primarily cultural evolutionary explanations, but argue that the larger, most universal categories they are sub-phenomena of – music, language, religion – require gene-culture coevolutionary explanations.

Figure 1 (Savage). An adapted version of Figure 1 from Singh’s target article with an added red box containing some of the most complex and universal cultural domains. These “absolute universals” found in all known human societies without exception (e.g., language, music, religion) appear beyond the explanatory framework of superattractor theory, and instead imply at least some genetic component.

R3.2.1. Shamanism and dance songs are super-attractors, while music and religion are (probably) not

Observing that I treat shamanism, dance songs, and hero stories as super-attractors, Savage asks why I do not include broader domains, such as religion, music, and language. He is right that these comprise behaviors that are ubiquitous and complex (Evans & Levinson, 2009; Jackson et al., 2023; Mehr et al., 2019; Peoples, Duda, & Marlowe, 2016; Pinker, 1994; Savage et al., 2015). But, putting aside language, which I discuss below, religion and music do not strike me as super-attractors, because they do not seem to exhibit the degree of functional integration characteristic of clearer classes. I wrote: Importantly, the attractors composing a super-attractor are not merely a collection of discrete components; rather, they relate dynamically to produce new, emergent properties or functions that are not present in any individual attractor. (Section 1) Super-attractors are roughly analogous to organs like the heart or lungs. Each is complex; each has components that reliably cooccur and that work together to sustain emergent functions. In contrast, “music” is a label for a family of super-attractors, much like “organ” is a label for a family of systems. “Music” encompasses traditions like dance songs, lullabies, and healing songs, but these are not functionally integrated. There is, for example, no necessary reason why lullabies require dance songs, nor a patterned way in which lullabies and dance songs interact to yield larger functions. The components of religion may be better integrated. For example, shamans are believed to interact with supernatural agents, and such interactions might feature in myths. Yet the integration across such components seems much weaker than within-component integration. Shamanism always includes trance and services like healing and divination, often alongside dramatic initiations and self-denial. Yet, the connection between shamanism and…

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Cultural Evolution Society @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

CE Job Alert 🚨 -> Associate Professor in behavioral ecology and cultural evolution in the Department of Ecology & Evolution (DEE) at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland (Knowledge of French required): wwwfbm.unil.ch/releve/appli...

wwwfbm.unil.ch

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Christos C. Ioannou @ccioannou.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

📢 @asab.org Conference Attendance Grants for developing country applicants: deadline 1st AUGUST 📢 Up to £2500!!! Joint Winter Conference of ASAB and PSGB: “Social Learning and Culture” @asabpsgb2026.bsky.social #ASABWinter2026 @asab-meetings.bsky.social Full details: www.asab.org/conference-g...

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Cultural Evolution Society @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Calling all animal culture enthusiasts! The Association for Study of Animal Behaviour and the Primate Society of Great Britain are holding a joint meeting this December on "Social Learning and Culture" 👇

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Wataru Toyokawa @watarutoyokawa.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

The next ACE seminar will be happening tomorrow📣 We are excited to have Pat Savage talking about the evolution of music and language! @patrickesavage.bsky.social (Note: the actual time slot is 2-3pm, 30-min shorter this time)

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Cultural Evolution Society @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Our latest episode of Transmissions is out! This one features Prof. Dr. Lucy Aplin, a leading cognitive ecologist from the University of Zurich and Australian National University. This marks our very first episode dedicated entirely to understanding animal culture! youtu.be/M7qCTKRNVuA?...

youtu.be

Transmissions Episode 6 with Dr Lucy Aplin

YouTube video by Cultural Evolution Society

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Cultural Evolution Society @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

🚨 CES Elections 2026–2029 🚨 We’ve extended the nomination period for SIX Executive Committee positions: President-Elect, Treasurer, Secretary, 2x Executive Ordinary Members and Student Rep! 🗓 Nominations close: Jun14 🗳 Voting: Jun24–Jul8 📢 Results announced this summer forms.gle/9yX2SLcf82Vk...

forms.gle

Cultural Evolution Society Elections 2026: Nomination Form

Please use this form to submit your nomination(s) for the Executive Committee's open positions. On this page we will ask you for general details. The next pages allow you to choose the position(s) ...

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Elliot Howard-Spink @ehowaspi.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

New preprint in review! 🤩 "Identifying social learning through peering: predictions and recommendations". 👀 Led by Elisa Bandini alongside @revathe.bsky.social, myself, and Caroline Schuppli. See 🧵 and read it here: ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...

ecoevorxiv.org

Identifying social learning through peering: predictions and recommendations

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Cristina Moya @hyperadapthyrax.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Great opportunity for anyone wanting to get involved in the direction Cultural Evolution institutions go. You get to work with lovely people and help guide this nascent organization.

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Cultural Evolution Society @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Not to missed if you're interested in cultural diffusion through networks!

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Cultural Evolution Society @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

CEs Job Alert 🚨! 4-year teaching focused lecturership at Bristol in bio/evo anthropology with a quantitative focus. Bristol is a terrific city to live in, and many ECRS in the CES will hopefully fit the profile: www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/de...

bristol.ac.uk

Details | Working at Bristol | University of Bristol

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ces2026 @ces2026.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Day 2 continued with a rich program, marked by two plenary sessions. Stephen Vaisey, Professor at Duke University, opened the day with a forward-looking reflection on the possible futures of cultural evolution, exploring how different intellectual traditions shape the way we understand the field.

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ces2026 @ces2026.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Another day of rich discussions and interdisciplinary exchange. Learn more about CES2026: airess.fgses-um6p.ma/ces2026

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ces2026 @ces2026.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

Day 3 | CES Conference 2026 at UM6P Rabat 📍 The final day opened with a plenary by Prof. Nicole Creanza on the evolution of learned behaviors, drawing insights from both birds and humans 🧠🐦

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ces2026 @ces2026.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

As CES 2026 comes to a close at UM6P Rabat 📍, we extend our sincere thanks to all participants, speakers, and organizers who made these three days so rich and engaging.

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Sergi Valverde @svalver.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

Today I’ll be presenting online at @ces2026.bsky.social: Arcade games as a model system for cultural macroevolution 👾 Track B · Room B-K2-02 11:30–12:40 Sorry not to be in Rabat in person, but happy to share this work with the @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social.

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Alex Mesoudi @alexmesoudi.com · 12/05/2026

Sadly I couldn't get a photo of @stephenvaisey.com 's earlier plenary, which placed the field of cultural evolution in sociological context, but that was great too

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Alex Mesoudi @alexmesoudi.com · 12/05/2026

Now it's @michelleakline.bsky.social 's fascinating plenary on cultural evolution and childrearing / childbirth

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Alex Mesoudi @alexmesoudi.com · 12/05/2026

Our host turns speaker: @matcharbonneau.bsky.social on how open-ended cumulative cultural evolution works

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Alex Mesoudi @alexmesoudi.com · 12/05/2026

Sergey Gavrilets now on how tightness-looseness changes cooperative dynamics

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Alex Mesoudi @alexmesoudi.com · 12/05/2026

CES 2026 continues with @twaring.bsky.social talking about food clubs as an example of cultural group selection

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Alex Mesoudi @alexmesoudi.com · 11/05/2026

Now Tom Morgan on how conformist behaviour emerges from anti-conformist beliefs

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Alex Mesoudi @alexmesoudi.com · 11/05/2026

Here is @alexschakowski.bsky.social on social learning strategies in Finnish fishing competitions

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Alex Mesoudi @alexmesoudi.com · 11/05/2026

Egor Lappo telling us about social learning in chess playing (not in cats sadly, despite the photo)

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Cultural Evolution Society @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

🚨 CES Elections 2026–2029 🚨 We’ve got SIX Executive Committee positions open — including President-Elect, Treasurer, Secretary, Executive Ordinary Members (x2), and Student Rep! 🗓 Nominations close: May 31 🗳 Voting: June 15–24 📢 Results announced this summer forms.gle/9yX2SLcf82Vk...

forms.gle

Cultural Evolution Society Elections 2026: Nomination Form

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Alex Mesoudi @alexmesoudi.com · 11/05/2026

Final keynote of the day by Abdellatif Bencherifa @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social

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Alex Mesoudi @alexmesoudi.com · 11/05/2026

More @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social conference talks! @babeheim.bsky.social on norm psychology, and in particular escalator standing norms in Japan

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Alex Mesoudi @alexmesoudi.com · 11/05/2026

In Rabat for the @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social conference. Great start with a fascinating keynote by @helenamiton.bsky.social on constraints on cultural evolution

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ces2026 @ces2026.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

CES Conference 2026 at UM6P Rabat 📍 The Cultural Evolution Society (CES) Conference 2026 successfully kicked off today at the UM6P Rabat campus, hosted by the Africa Institute for Research in Economics and Social Sciences (AIRESS) in collaboration with the School of Collective Intelligence (SCI).

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ces2026 @ces2026.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

📢IMPORTANT NOTICE Participants are required to bring their passport with them to access the campus. Please do not forget it, as it is mandatory for entry. We are very excited to welcome you!

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Feryl Badiani @ferylbadiani.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

Really grateful (and a bit in disbelief) to receive the 2026 CES Richerson Award. Special shout out to my supervisors @aiyanakoka.bsky.social and Rita McNamara for all their support and guidance 🤍

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Cultural Evolution Society @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

A new episode of Transmissions is out! We feature Dr. Aiyana Willard, Reader in Psychology at Brunel University London. We talk about the adaptiveness of religion, including alternative beliefs such as witchcraft, tarot reading and other local healing practices. www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2m5...

youtube.com

Transmissions Episode 5 with Dr. Aiyana Willard

YouTube video by Cultural Evolution Society

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Zach Garfield @zhgarfield.com · 30/04/2026

Conference update emails for #HBES2026 and #CESRabat will be sent soon. In the meantime, updated programs are live on both conference websites: airess.fgses-um6p.ma/hbes2026 airess.fgses-um6p.ma/ces2026 Check them out! @ces2026.bsky.social @hbes2026.bsky.social

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Cultural Evolution Society @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

The Cultural Evolution Society is delighted to announce that Feryl Badiani (She/Her), LEVYNA, Masaryk University, is the recipient of the 2026 CES Richerson Award for Outstanding Doctoral Research. Please join us in congratulating Feryl on this well-deserved recognition!

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Chris Krupenye @chriskrupenye.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

Job Alert 🚨 - please share! My brilliant friend and collaborator, Fumihiro Kano, is launching a new Ecological & Collective Cognition lab at Kyushu University, and has postdoc, grad, and tech openings! Lab video: youtu.be/rXT-yjQzJxU More details: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

youtu.be

groupdemo kyushu 04132026

YouTube video by 狩野文浩

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Eduardo Amorim @cegamorim.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

The largest and most diverse collection of Indigenous American genomes 👉🏻 “The evolutionary history and unique genetic diversity of Indigenous Americans” @macscastro.bsky.social @hunemeier.bsky.social @chiarabarbieri.bsky.social @jrockdrigo.bsky.social 🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

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