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Dr Rebecca Koomen

@rebeccakoomen.bsky.social
702 followers 732 following 25 posts

Studying origins of cooperation for sustainability. Developmental, cross-cultural, comparative psychologist. UM6P School of Collective Intelligence she / her

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Reposted by Dr Rebecca Koomen
Heidi Colleran @heidicolleran.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
“The fight for the humanities and social sciences must be reframed not as a defense of elite academic privilege but as a common good essential for a democratic society: an infrastructure that builds collective knowledge against authoritarian rule and corporate extraction.”
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Open Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science bot @oecs-bot.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Distinguishing between involuntary displays and flexible, intentional signals remains central to understanding whether human language evolved from… Primate Communication by Katja Liebal doi.org/10.21428/e2759450.54c9be0b #CognitiveScience
Open Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science: "Primate Communication" by Katja Liebal. Comparative psychologists interested in the evolution of human language often aim at identifying potential precursors to human language in other species, so they focus on the communicative systems of
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Hanna @hanna-schleihauf.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Reason-giving isn't a Western invention. New in Child Development: 360 children aged 5–9 in China, Kenya & the US spontaneously gave each other reasons to settle disagreements — and did so more when they disagreed than when they agreed. academic.oup.com/chidev/advan...
academic.oup.com
Children across diverse societies exchange reasons to resolve disagreements
Abstract. The exchange of reasons in rational discourse is crucial for resolving disagreements. In a preregistered cross-cultural study, 360 5- to 9-year-o
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Zoë Goldsborough @zoegoldsborough.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Would chimpanzees or bonobos huddle before a penalty shootout in the World Cup? 🐵⚽ In both species, reassuring body contact promotes social tolerance, read more in our new study led by Jake Brooker out now in @royalsociety.org Proc B. (doi.org/10.1098/rspb...) A thread of the main findings 🧵 (1/10)
Examples of bonobo and chimpanzee reassurance behaviours. Top panels depict bonobos engaging in genital touching (left) and hand grasping (right) taken by Z. Clay at Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary. Bottom panels depict chimpanzees engaging in mouth-to-body contact (left) and embracing (right) taken by J.S. Brooker at Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust.
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primatesocietygb.bsky.social @primatesocietygb.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
A new species of monkey described from the forests of DRC! 🐒 www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
New monkey species with orange lips found 'hiding' in DRC forest
Scientists describe "amazing feeling" to look into the face of an animal that so few people knew existed.
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Dr Blake Morton @drblakemorton.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
🚨*New Paper Alert*🚨 Excited to share our latest paper, published today in @asab.org, showing that #exploration and #problem-solving behaviours in #wild red #foxes are explained by length, not rate, of #urbanisation 🦊🧠🧩🌃 #CoexistProject Link to paper: doi.org/10.1016/j.an...
doi.org
Redirecting
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Animal Behaviour Collective @abcmicrogrants.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Our paper is out now! 🎉📝 We describe how we work to address barriers faced by students and early-career researchs in the animal behaviour field, through our mentorships and microgrants. We hope that this can inspire and provide practical resources for others hoping to do the same!
sciencedirect.com
The animal behaviour collective: building confidence and breaking barriers through community
Despite increasing efforts to diversify the field of animal behaviour, systemic barriers continue to limit access and inclusion for researchers from h…
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Chris Krupenye @chriskrupenye.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Big congrats to @morfjoe.bsky.social on this exciting new paper in Science Advances! We provide evidence that larger flocks of migratory birds navigate more accurately toward their target direction than smaller ones
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Alex Sanchez-Amaro @alex-primate.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
In experimental studies, a preference for collaboration emerges early in child development and is considered a cornerstone of socio-cognitive development. In our recent study in published in JEP:G we challenge this assumption: psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202...
psycnet.apa.org
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Drew Altschul @dremalt.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
Neat new paper on primate neurocognitive evolution, featuring the @manyprimates.bsky.social MP1 data!
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anthrofuentes.bsky.social @anthrofuentes.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
This...it's all connected. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
science.org
The hidden consequences of elephant extinction
The absence of African elephants impairs the ecological role of dung beetles
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Christoph Völter @christophvoelter.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Two postdoc positions at the Messerli Research Institute in Vienna in the research area of human-animal interactions: www.vetmeduni.ac.at/fileadmin/v/...
vetmeduni.ac.at
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Prof. Gillian Brown @gillianrbrown1.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
Enjoyed reading 'Our Science, Ourselves' by Christa Kuljian (2024). It describes the sociobiology debates from the perspective of female scientists who raised concerns about its inherent sexism and whose (intersectional) voices were not always heard. 🧪 @umasspress.bsky.social #ehbea #hbes #cultevol
Photo of book cover of 'Our Science, Ourselves ' by Christa Kuljian.
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HigherJobz @higherjobz.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
🎓 Fully Funded PhD in Human Ecology & Behaviour – Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Germany 🌿 Field-based research in Nicaragua | Longitudinal behavioural analysis + ecology 🎓 Eligibility: Master’s 🔗 higherjobz.com/fully-funded... #PhD @mpi-eva-leipzig.bsky.social
higherjobz.com
Fully Funded PhD Human Ecology Germany 2026 | Max Planck | HigherJobz
Apply for fully funded PhD in Human Ecology & Behaviour at Max Planck Institute, Leipzig, Germany. Open to Master’s graduates.
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Ecology of Animal Societies @livingingroups.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Is bigger always better? For social animals, group size is a dilemma: big groups face more internal competition, yet hold an edge over smaller neighbors. 33 years of data on 12 wild capuchin groups reveals how these forces shape behavior. Out today in *Nat Eco & Evo*: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
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Jenna Norton @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Sharing this screen grab from a friend at NIH (with permission). This is a checklist program officers have to complete before a grant can be awarded. The first question: "Is this grant All Clean/Clear in the NIH Text analysis Tool?" 🧵1/3
Screen grab of an NIH grants checklist showing the first question is: "1. Is this grant All Clean/Clear in the NIH Text analysis Tool?"
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Bridget Waller @bridgetwaller.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Research Assistant position working on eye-tracking and parenting cognition in macaques, linked to Yuri Kawaguchi's BBSRC Fellowship. Join us at NTU! @yurikawaguchi.bsky.social vacancies.ntu.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...
vacancies.ntu.ac.uk
Research Assistant in Primate Cognition:Hybrid
Research Assistant in Primate Cognition working with captive rhesus macaques to improve animal welfare.
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Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior @mpi-animalbehav.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
PLS RT📣 Two Postdoc jobs at #mpaib with Serena Ding on collective behavior of worms (Never seen a "wormuration"? That's them in green) 🪱 social dynamics of collective dispersal: bewerbermanagement.net/jobposting/2... 🪱 sensory ecology of worm towers: bewerbermanagement.net/jobposting/7...
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Damian Carrington @dpcarrington.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
Santa Marta Climate Conference is the first international summit on transitioning away from fossil fuels - after decades of gridlock, it could be a game changer for climate diplomacy and action @ninalakhani.bsky.social sets out what to expect #climatecrisis drilled.media/news/santa-m...
drilled.media
What to Expect at the Santa Marta Climate Conference
Colombia and the Netherlands will host government ministers, scientists, Indigenous peoples, and civil society groups from at least 50 states, determined to work together to figure out a just transiti...
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Dr Rebecca Koomen @rebeccakoomen.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
📣New paper!🎉 Vampire bats, lobster fishing gangs, and forest spirits! They all help to prevent the tragedy of the commons - I propose a framework for categorising sustainability solutions through a collective intelligence lens so we can compare them across species, cultures, & cognitive abilities
royalsocietypublishing.org
Cooperative sustainability: a case for collective intelligence
Abstract. Group-dwelling species face challenges that can be overcome with collective intelligence (CI): problem-solving abilities of collectives that outp
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Sofia Forss @sofiaforss.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
We have an open MSc Project Position at the Urban Vervet Project, and are currently looking for a motivated teammate to discover species interactions in a human altered environment 👇🏼 For more INFO👇🏼
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Dr Rebecca Koomen @rebeccakoomen.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
“if Americans are vigilant and forceful, none of these scenarios should work. Knowledge of history can change the future. The biggest barrier to Trump carrying out a coup is not his weakness, but the public’s refusal to obey in advance”
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Ana-Maria Bliuc @anamariab99.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Very excited to share this new paper led by @rrsfhansen.bsky.social just published in Communications Sustainability: www.nature.com/articles/s44...
nature.com
Cheap-talk and left-wing political orientation boost cooperative sustainability when politically outnumbered - Communications Sustainability
Democrats cooperate more than Republicans in politically heterogeneous groups, but sharing nonbinding pledges of intended actions helps groups cooperate to sustain a shared resource, according to an o...
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Dr Rebecca Koomen @rebeccakoomen.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
📣 New paper lead by @rrsfhansen.bsky.social We tested the cooperative sustainability of groups who were either politically homogenous (4 republicans or 4 democrats), mixed (2 from each party), or misaligned (1 outnumbered republican or democrat). www.nature.com/articles/s44...
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Claudia Wascher @wascherclaudia.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
Post-doc opportunity on comparative cognition and movement dynamics in corvids with the brilliant Prof Debbie Kelly at the University of Manitoba
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Nicola Cutting @nicolacutting.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
Last few days to apply.....
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HUMAN ORIGINS - Cluster of Excellence @humanorigins.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
🚨Job alert!🚨 The Cluster of Excellence HUMAN ORIGINS announces 2 junior Professor (W1) positions: A W1 Tenure track Professorship in Evolutionary Modelling (shorturl.at/FN102) and a W1 Professorship (non Tenure-track) in Primatology (shorturl.at/sH0Mk) Deadline: April 6 2026! Please share! 🔄
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Kirsty MacLeod @kjmacleod.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Looking for a postdoc? Letter of Intent deadline for the Human Frontiers postdoc fellowship is in early May! www.hfsp.org/funding/hfsp... My husband had one of these and they were a great funder to work with. Get in touch if you think I/my lab might be a good fit for your research ideas!
hfsp.org
Postdoctoral Fellowships | Human Frontier Science Program
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Shona Duguid @shona-d.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
Applications are now open for a PhD on collaborative problem-solving with @nicolacutting.bsky.social and myself. The deadline is soon (31st March) so get in touch with questions. jobs.yorksj.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx...
jobs.yorksj.ac.uk
Job Opportunity at York St John University: Academic Associate in Psychology
Part time fixed term Location: YorkSalary: £34,610 to £39,906 per annum (£17,305 to £19,953 pro rata)Introduction to YSJ universityYork St John is an ambitious, modern university at the heart of historic York and there...
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Ecology of Animal Societies @livingingroups.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
3-year Independent Post-doc in Animal Behavior based at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama! Three positions, each including salary & a research budget. Applications due April, 15th. DM if you are interesting in developing a project with us! stri.si.edu/academic-pro...
stri.si.edu
3 Year Postdoctoral Fellowships in Animal Behavior
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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
"In the future, we hope to have no immigrants in the UK. That's the end goal." (President of University of Bristol's Reform UK Society). When people tell you who they are, believe them.
ft.com
The Reform UK youth wing driving the party’s reach on campus
To gain momentum, young supporters are trying to appeal to students from across the right
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Andy Radford @andyradford.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
📢Fully-funded #PhD opportunity with us ❓Quantifying animal #movement patterns & behavioural #interactions in a changing world 👥Joint position in @bristolbiosci.bsky.social & #MacquarieUniversity 📆19th April deadline tinyurl.com/343acaev #maths #modelling #data #fieldwork #Australia 🙏PLEASE SHARE
Zebra finches in Australia; one of the study organisms for the PhDDwarf mongoose staring at a camera in South Africa; one of the PhD study organisms
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Harry Siviter @harrysiviter.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Interested in understanding how bumblebees are responding to climate change? Well look no further than a competition funded PhD position with me and Rachael Dudaniec at Macquarie University, Sydney 🇦🇺 Details below ⬇️ www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
findaphd.com
Funded PhD: Using mathematical models to predict the impact of climate change on pollinators at University of Bristol on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Funded PhD: Using mathematical models to predict the impact of climate change on pollinators at University of Bristol, listed on FindAPhD.com
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Christina Hansen Wheat @chansenwheat.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
🚨 PhD position in behavioural evolution 🚨 Come do your PhD with me in Linköping, Sweden, using the domestic dog (and some wolves) to answer fun questions on how complex behaviours develop and evolve. Application deadline September 24 2025 🧪 🌍 🦊 #AcademicSky #ScienceJobs liu.se/en/work-at-l...
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Joan Silk @jbsilk.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Is it ironic, sad, or all-too-predictable that this news item would be in the same new cycle as the announcement of Birute Galdikas' death?
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Liran Samuni @lirsamuni.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Bonobos and bottlenose dolphins may seem worlds apart, but together they reveal key conditions that foster cooperation beyond group boundaries
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Dr Rebecca Koomen @rebeccakoomen.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Well worth a read! Thanks @anthrofuentes.bsky.social !
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Dan Mennill @dmennill.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
We're hiring an Assistant Professor of Ecology! Come and join me and a great group of colleagues at University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Our job ad: efhc.fa.ca2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid... Message me if you have questions. @ibiouwindsor.bsky.social @uwindsor.bsky.social
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Lesley Lancaster @lancasterlt.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
Please share this PhD position in my group - guaranteed funding for a home/UK resident student. (i.e., non competition). Damselfly genetics, plus travel opportunities, fieldwork, and policy internship. www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
findaphd.com
QUARTILES DLA CASE: Comparative population genomics of charismatic wetland species: delivering genetic diversity indicators for biodiversity monitoring at University of Aberdeen on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - QUARTILES DLA CASE: Comparative population genomics of charismatic wetland species: delivering genetic diversity indicators for biodiversity monitoring at University of Aberdeen , listed...
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Raphaela Heesen @heesenr.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
I’m advertising two position options (PhD/postdoc) within my lab - take a look below if you’re interested or send me a message ☺️ @uni-konstanz.de
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Jasmin Schreiber @schreibersnaturarium.de · 19/03/2026
Ich stell das mal hier ab, weil das die Medien hierzulande halt nicht zu interessieren scheint. Vor nicht allzulanger Zeit wären das Eilmeldungen gewesen, es wäre tagelang auf der Startseite der SPIEGEL App, aber jetzt ist das alles eigentlich egal, ne? m.youtube.com/watch?v=OLnU...
m.youtube.com
BREAKING: Goldman Unveils Unredacted File That 'Disputes Everything' Trump 'Has Said' About Epstein
YouTube video by Forbes Breaking News
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Fichtel-Kappeler-Lab @kirindy.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
Fully funded PhD position on primate parochialism! Study how cooperation within groups and conflict between groups evolve in red-fronted lemurs at our long-term field site in Kirindy Forest, Madagascar. @kirindy.bsky.social & @primatenzentrum.bsky.social. Apply here: www.dpz.eu
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Many Minds podcast @manymindspod.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
Happy 6th anniversary to us!! 🎉🎉 Thanks for spending time with us, old friends and new! As we celebrate this milestone, we've launched a short audience survey to get your thoughts on the show (and its future). We would be most grateful for your participation! Link: forms.gle/AnJSopuX8Cho...
forms.gle
Many Minds podcast – Listener survey
A brief survey for listeners of the Many Minds podcast.
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Christian Czymara @christian.czymara.com · 04/03/2026
🚨 Job alert! 🚨 We’re #hiring a #PhD candidate at NIDI (The Hague). Together with @frankvantubergen.bsky.social and @glorenz.bsky.social, I will supervise a project on the connection of different dimensions of social cohesion in ethnically diverse schools. Deadline 1 April 2026. More information:
vacatures.knaw.nl
PhD: Rethinking Social Cohesion in Ethnically Diverse Schools: Linking Horizontal and Vertical Ties
PhD: Rethinking Social Cohesion in Ethnically Diverse Schools: Linking Horizontal and Vertical Ties
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Charley Wu @thecharleywu.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
🚀 Postdoc Alert! Are you passionate about social learning & cultural evolution? @dominikdeffner.bsky.social & I have a 3-year position with freedom to develop your research and work on cutting-edge multiplayer and immersive experiments. Apply by March 30! hmc-lab.com/SocialLearni... Pls share 🙏
hmc-lab.com
Postdoc position -- Social Learning and Cultural Evolution
Postdoc position -- Social Learning and Cultural Evolution posted on March 2, 2026 We are currently seeking a highly motivated individual...
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Mythic 🦊 @mythicalredfox.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
Thinking about this quote from Persepolis creator Marjane Satrapi again.
Picture of Marjane Satrapi alongside a quote from her. The quote reads:

The world is not divided into countries. The world is not divided between East and West. You are American, I am Iranian, we don't know each other, but we talk together and we understand each other perfectly. The difference between you and your government is much bigger than the difference between you and me. And the difference between me and my government is much bigger than the difference between me and you.

And our governments are very much the same...

- Marjane Satrapi, Iranian-French graphic novelist
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Simon Columbus @simoncolumbus.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Cooperation Colloquium this week: Taylor Kessinger (U Penn): Adaptive dynamics of reputation, social norms, and gossip Date: Feb 27 Time: 15:00 UTC+1 / 9 am ET Sign up: list.ku.dk/postorius/li...
Abstract: Human societies are characterized by large-scale cooperative behavior, even among unrelated strangers. Why? One plausible answer is indirect reciprocity: If I help a stranger, I might gain a good reputation, increasing the likelihood that others will help me in turn. But under what circumstances can indirect reciprocity facilitate a stable, cooperative status quo? Can these circumstances—for example, a high level of agreement about reputations—evolve in the first place? For that matter, what rules for assigning reputations can evolve? I use adaptive dynamics to attain simple, intuitive answers to these questions. Specifically, I study the evolution of cooperative strategies, gossiping behavior, and even moral assessment rules themselves by parametrizing them as continuous traits. I confirm some classical results in the theory of indirect reciprocity but challenge others. Cooperation is easily sustainable, provided reputational views are sufficiently correlated. But when reputations are a matter of private judgment, there are no stable cooperative equilibria at all. Gossip can facilitate a high level of agreement, but echo chambers are difficult to overcome. Crucially, while many assessment rules can facilitate cooperation, almost none of them can actually evolve. The main exception is Stern Judging, which mandates that bad individuals be punished––a rule that is, sadly, highly intolerant of disagreement. I conclude by discussing implications for polarization, moral philosophy, and the discourse. Adaptive dynamics provides a mathematical framework not only for establishing a baseline theory of indirect reciprocity but also for incorporating the foibles and peculiarities of real human societies.
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Cultural Evolution Society @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
🚨 Job Alert: Professorship in Evolutionary Anthropology / Primatology at University of Zurich, focused on understanding evolutionary and cultural evolutionary foundations of gender-based inequality and violence, with research in non-human primates. jobs.uzh.ch/job-vacancie...
jobs.uzh.ch
UZH: Professorship for Evolutionary Anthropology and Primatology
We are seeking candidates in the field of Comparative Evolutionary Anthropology and Primatology for the Irene Staehelin Endowed Professorship at the University of Zurich. This position focuses on the ...
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Erik Nook 🏳️‍🌈 @eriknook.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Are you a junior faculty member interested in spending 2-4 weeks at Princeton Psych? Consider applying for our Microsabbatical program! It’s a fully funded visit for professional development and creating long-term collaborations. psych.princeton.edu/diversity/mi...
psych.princeton.edu
Microsabbaticals at Princeton Psychology
Microsabbaticals at Princeton Psychology provide a several-week-long visit to our department for early-career faculty. The program focuses on early-career scholars who would benefit from interactions ...
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Cultural Evolution Society @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
We are excited to share the third episode of our student-led outreach series! In this instalment, student representatives @ferylbadiani.bsky.social & Ishaan interview Dr. Tim Waring, Assoc. Prof. at U. Maine and head of the Applied Cultural Evolutionary Laboratory. www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O3U...
youtube.com
Transmissions Episode 3 with Dr Tim Waring
YouTube video by Cultural Evolution Society
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