iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Open-access paper link here! Ignore the snake-skin pic, that's a red herring 😆 Bravo lead author Jake Brooker and our fab team of collaborators! EJC van Leeuwen, @zoegoldsborough.bsky.social , Christine Webb and Stephanie Kordon royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article...

royalsocietypublishing.org

Reassuring body contact promotes social tolerance in bonobos and chimpanzees

Abstract. Social tolerance underpins cooperation in humans and other social animals, but its proximate drivers in short-term, competitive contexts remain p

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Great apes reassure one another to maintain the peace Our new study shows that friendly touch before stressful events, like embracing, patting and even kissing, promotes tolerance and peace in chimpanzees and bonobos. Some BBC coverage 🙂 open-access paper below! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

Great Apes kiss and cuddle to keep the peace, says study

Hugging before stressful events may be an ancient way of building trust, say scientists studying apes.

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

thank you @gillianrbrown1.bsky.social !! sorry not to get a chance to say hello, was chasing round after my toddler

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Social structure as a form of collective intelligence In our framework, we argue that social structure is a form of collective intelligence shaped by and shaping individual decision-making Out now in @royalsocietypublishing.org w/ J Brooker, E van Leeuwen royalsocietypublishing.org/rstb/article...

royalsocietypublishing.org

Social structure as a form of collective intelligence: a new framework

Abstract. Collective intelligence arises when group-level cognition exceeds the capabilities of individual members, enabling more effective learning, decis

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Prof. Gillian Brown @gillianrbrown1.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Great talk by @zannaclay.bsky.social on optimal maternal sensitivity in wild bonobos, presented at @ehbea2026.bsky.social in Leiden, Netherlands. #ehbea2026

Photo of speaker standing in front of screen with PowerPoint slide.

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Great to speak at the BPS Student conference North-East- giving local high school students a chance to discover where Psychology can take you. I shared about my research on great apes, children and the origins of empathy. Bonobos went down well! @bpsofficial.bsky.social @durhampsych.bsky.social

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

I just emailed a work colleague to thank them for something, but rather than writing "Thank you so much" - I signed off "Thank you smooch"! 🫣 not my most professional of sign-offs, darned autotype!

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

EMPATHY: In a new article out in Behaviour "The Evolutionary & Developmental Origins of Empathy: Honouring Frans de Waal’s Legacy", I consider how processes like mimicry, contagion and early social experiences shape later social-emotional development. #OpenAccess here👉: brill.com/view/journal...

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

thank you for your interest and for sharing!

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Wendel van der Sluis @wendelvandersluis.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

Empathy spans species and begins early in life. In The Evolutionary & Developmental Origins of Empathy: Honouring Frans de Waal’s Legacy, @zannaclay.bsky.social shows how mimicry, contagion & early social experiences shape later social-emotional development. Read #OpenAccess: doi.org/10.1163/1568...

Zanna Clay with Frans de Waal at the Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary, DR Congo (2019), as part of their long-term study on bonobo socio-emotional development.

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

A new study in @nature.com demonstrates the prevalence of same-sex sexual behaviour in primates (59 species) and its possible ecological and social functions. My comments on the study feature at the end of this coverage in @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/science/2026...?

theguardian.com

Primates’ same-sex sexual behaviour ‘may reinforce bonds amid environmental stress’

Behaviour among non-human species could help keep groups together in face of social challenges, says study

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 13/10/2025

Next Friday 24th October at 1pm, I will be giving my Inugural Lecture! All are extremely welcome. If you would like to attend online (or in person), please can you complete this form? Then I can send you a meeting link and/or if you'd like the recording forms.gle/UZmAMt5VXNZN...

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

so glad you enjoyed it! I really enjoyed the conference!

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Andra Meneganzin @andrameneganzin.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

@zannaclay.bsky.social delivering the first Frans de Waal lecture at #CBEN in Antwerp. Terrific talk on the evolution of empathy and a fantastic homage to Frans de Waal's work and legacy. #evosky #philsky #animalbehaviour 🧪

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

Infant response speeds seem to reflect broader cultural preferences about emotion expressiveness in Uganda and UK Our results highlight the importance of sociocultural contexts for shaping maternal caregiving and how these relate to infant emotional development. 5/6

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

We think this reflect the effectiveness of their response strategy. Ugandan mothers used more breastfeeding and tactile comfort at both 3m and 6m, while UK mothers switched to more verbal and engagement strategies as their infants grew. 4/6

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

Across both sites, faster maternal responsiveness was associated with faster infant recovery from distress, suggesting that prompt maternal intervention facilitates regulation. Although UK mothers were quicker to respond, Ugandan infants actually recovered faster 3/6

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

How mothers respond to infants’ emotional cues is key in shaping socio-emotional development However, research outside Western contexts is limited. We compared how mothers responded to naturally-occurring infant distress in rural Uganda and suburban UK at 3m and 6m. 2/6

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

Woo new paper! Cross-cultural investigation into maternal responses to infant distress How babies are soothed may be more important than how quickly, which vary cross-culturally w/Carlo Vreden & team in #DevelopmentalPsychology! Open-access link + thread 👇 psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202...

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

Infant response speeds seem to reflect broader cultural preferences about emotion expressiveness in Uganda and UK These results highlight the importance of sociocultural contexts for shaping maternal caregiving practices and how these relate to infant emotional development. 5/6

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

Across both sites, faster maternal responsiveness was associated with faster infant recovery from distress, suggesting that prompt maternal intervention facilitates emotional regulation. Although UK mothers were quicker to respond to their infants, Ugandan infants actually recovered faster 3/6

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

Durham Psychology is hiring! The department is seeking to appoint an Assistant Professor in forensic psychology, woo! Come join us, we're a friendly and vibrant dept and Durham is beautiful! Please see info here and reach out with any Qs. durham.taleo.net/careersectio...

durham.taleo.net

Assistant Professor (Research %26 Education)

Click the link provided to see the complete job description.

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Max Colbert @mc00.bsky.social · 30/07/2025

This is one of the best ideas I've heard in ages.

Reddit post on r/technology about young people and AI: "I recently heard about a teacher who instead of trying to circumvent students using AI, which is impossible, she made assignments by going "ask ChatGPT to write a report on this subject, and then research how and why it's wrong".

Not only did the students discover that ChatGPT is extremely wrong a lot of the time, it also lead them to realise that they should not use it as a primary source".

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scienceartnews.bsky.social @scienceartnews.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

A study by @zannaclay.bsky.social, Carlo Vreden suggests that babies possess a powerful capacity for empathy long before they can walk or talk.As babies grow and develop, this sensitivity can develop into a deeper understanding of others' emotions and the motivation to care for them. 1/2 @psyche.co

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scienceartnews.bsky.social @scienceartnews.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

Changes in facial skin temperature are measured using thermal imaging, which can help scientists better understand underlying emotional states. Research paper is published in the @psyche.co Image provided by developmental psychologists @zannaclay.bsky.social and Carlo Vreden. 2/2

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

aw, that is a pity- and thanks very much for explaining- that's great that the effort had been made in the planning though!

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

This looks brilliant topic wise- Though it's a pity that only 2 of the 10 speakers are women. There are so many great women scientists who could have provided excellent contributions for a more balanced programme - @asab.org

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🎃Autopsy of Ashley Lynch 🔪🎞️ @ashleylynch.bsky.social · 15/07/2025

WeTransfer just changed their TOS giving themselves permission to train AI on any content you transfer and produce derivative works based on content you transfer that they are allowed to monetize and you are not allowed payment for. Stop using WeTransfer.

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

Social determinants of health: A reanalysis shows that the link between maternal sociality and infant survival in Amboseli baboons is actually driven by state-dependent changes in maternal social behaviour I missed this when it came out, so sharing in case you did too www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1...

pnas.org

Reevaluating the relationship between female sociality and infant survival in wild baboons | PNAS

Over the past few decades, studies have provided strong evidence that the robust links between the social environment, health, and survival found i...

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Dan Baldassarre @evornithology.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

Birds as pride flags, meticulously researched by my wonderful student Griffin ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 Rainbow flag: Eastern Rosella 📷 David Irving, eBird

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

Some fancy chocs arrived to thank me for my review for the Branco Weiss Fellowship, very thoughtful The Swiss do things better 😊

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Alisa Bokulich @alisabokulich.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

Remembering the time I threw a geology-paleontology themed Bday party for the kids. Filled a kiddie pool with sand, real fossils & rocks, then had the kids dig & ID their finds for Geo-Paleo Bingo. Ended by exploding a giant Coke & Mentos volcano at the dig site. 😅 #AcademicParents

Over a dozen 9 year old & younger kids around a sandbox with a large papier-mâché volcano in center.

A Geo-Paleo-BINGO card with boxes for
Fossil Dinosaur Bone
Gypsum Rosettes
Apatite
Rose Quartz
Pyrite
Brachiopod Fossil
Jasper/Agate Arrowhead (yes one archaeology find, & I did explain differences btwn geology, paleontology, & archaeology to kids)
Ammonite Fossil
Pumice

Dig Into Rocks & Fossils pocket booklets for kids to ID their finds (they got to keep the booklets & finds)

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

wow, these are awesome! were they popular with the kids?

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

Last year, Charity, one of my research assistants in Uganda, faced the terrible life challenge of having her leg amputated. We've been supporting her, but she is now at critical point in her rehabilitation and needs more support. Anything you can give will help www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding...

justgiving.com

Help raise £600 to support the recovery journey of Charity, an amputee in Uganda – JustGiving Crowdfunding

Iʼm raising money to support the recovery journey of Charity, an amputee in Uganda. Support this JustGiving Crowdfunding Page.

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 07/05/2025

This was a collab between teams in @durhampsych.bsky.social @durhamdcerc.bsky.social and @yorkpsychology.bsky.social and Uganda who joined forces as a result of the COVID Pandemic. It marked the start of an fruitful collaboration that continues today! Thanks to all coauthors in Uganda and UK!

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 01/05/2025

Here's an article we did for @theconversation.com about our new study looking at #empathy in chimpanzees and bonobos, and why we need to move beyond stereotypes theconversation.com/our-ape-cous...

theconversation.com

Our ape cousins show us empathy has deep evolutionary roots – new research

It may be time to move on from species stereotypes.

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

New paper alert! - number 2 Social contagion underpins key elements of social interaction, including empathy & social learning. Here, we review research on primate social contagion and offer a unifying framework available open-access! 👇👇 w/ Georgia Sandars www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

sciencedirect.com

Social contagion in primates: Moderating factors and significance for individuals and the group

Social contagion, which involves behavioural and emotional state matching, is a crucial process for healthy social functioning. In humans as well as o…

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Zanna Clay @zannaclay.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

New paper alert! Bonobos are often cited as the 'most empathic ape' yet a comparison to their chimp cousins has never been done. So we directly compared their consolation tendencies We found big overlaps between the two species plus considerable within-species variation open-access link below!

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