A Window into the Evolution of the Human Mind

Engeneering Interdependence

Our aim is to better understand the evolutionary origin of the human mind. Why was it exactly us, rather than any of the other great apes to evolve into a hyper-social cognitive niche?​

We propose a process-oriented working model of human evolution to explain why humans excel in so-called big-C contexts (Cooperation, Communication, Cognition & Culture). Interdependence, the mandatory reliance on others for survival and reproduction, takes center stage in this model. 

With ENGINE, we test this model in wild and captive marmosets and human children and adults. We investigate how challenges that only can be solved in a group changes interdependence and performance in big-C contexts. 

People working on the ERC Project

  • Judith Burkart

    Professor, PI

  • Rahel Brügger

    Post Doc

Item 1 of 10

Publications

Our newest research output; full-texts also available on Zora

  • Cooperative breeding as a likely early catalyst of human evolution. Burkart, J. M., Cerrito, P., Natalucci, G. & van Schaik, C. P. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/z6n7e_v1

    An evolutionary perspective on altercentrism. Burkart, J. M. & Southgate, V. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/h5qn7_v1

    To merge or not: The onto- and phylogenetic origin of co-representation. Miss, F., Santharuban, L., Willems, E.P., Burkart, J.M., 2024. PsyArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/p7v4c

    The ontogeny of play in a highly cooperative monkey, the common marmoset. Godard, A. M., Burkart, J. M., Brügger, R. K. doi: 10.1101/2024.05.28.595935

    Dynamic vocal learning in adult marmoset monkeys. Phaniraj N., Wierucka K. & Burkart J. M. doi: 10.1101/2023.09.22.559020

  • The power of touch: From survival to enduring, prosocial cooperation. Griesser, M., Bennet, N. C., Burkart, J. M. Hart, D. W., Uomini, N., & Warrington, M. H. (2025) Trends in Ecology and Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2024.11.017

  • Food sharing behavior in marmosets, but not squirrel monkeys, suggests sensitivity to immature skill (in press). Sehner, S., Willems, E. P., Baumeyer, A., Davis, L., van Schaik, C. P. & Burkart, J. M. Animal Behaviour doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2498407/v1

    Neurodevelopmental timing and socio-cognitive development in a prosocial cooperatively breeding primate (Callithrix jacchus) (2024). Science Advances. Cerrito, P., Gascon, E., Roberts, A. C., Sawiak, S., J. & Burkart, J. M. doi: 10.1101/2023.12.01.569587

    Marmosets mutually compensate for differences in rhythms when coordinating vigilance. Phaniraj, N., Brügger, R. K. & Burkart, J. M. (accepted). Plos Computational Biology doi: 10.1101/2023.09.28.559895

  • Looking out for each other: synchronization and turn taking in common marmoset vigilance. Brügger, R. K., Willems, E. P. & Burkart, J. M. (2023). Animal Behaviour. doi: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.11.007

    Convergent evolution of amygdala nuclei volumes in cooperatively breeding and domesticated species. Cerrito, P. & Burkart, J. M. (2023). Human Nature. 34, 501-511. doi: 10.1007/s12110-023-09461-3

    Optimising source identification from marmoset vocalisations with hierarchical machine learning classifiers. Phaniraj, N., Wierucka, K., Zürcher, Y., & Burkart, J. M. (2023). The Royal Society Interface, 20 (207), 20230399. doi: 10.1101/2022.11.19.517179

    Synchronization: When is it more than an epiphenomenon? A modelling approach. Burkart, J. M., Brügger, R. B., & Phaniraj, N. (2023) Commentary on The evolution of social timing by L. Verga et al. Physics of Life Reviews. doi: 10.1016/j.plrev.2023.10.009

    Putting the cart before the horse? Expression before Gricean intentions. Burkart, J. M., Sehner, S., Brügger, R. K., Adriaense, J. & van Schaik, C. P. (2023). Commentary in Behavioral and Brain Sciences. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X2200084X

    Is there a human fear paradox? A more thorough use of comparative data to test the fearful ape hypothesis. Burkart J.M. & de Oliveira Terceiro F. (2023). Commentary in Behavioral and Brain Sciences. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X22001844

  • Towards integrating joint action research: Neurobiological, developmental and evolutionary perspectives on corepresentation. Miss, F. M., Adriaense, J. E. C. & Burkart, J. M. (2022). Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104924

    A convergent interaction engine: Vocal communication among marmoset monkeys. Burkart, J. M., Adriaense, J., Brügger, R. K., Miss, F. M., Wierucka, K. & van Schaik, C. P. & (2022). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0098

Theses

Ongoing and finished Thesis Projects related to the ERC

This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant agreement No. 101001295)