What we do
To understand the evolutionary origin of the human mind we identify both similarities and differences between human and nonhuman primates. We are particularly interested how social, motivational and cognitive processes interact in the “big-C” contexts in which humans excel: Cooperation, Communication, Cognition and Culture.
The callitrichid monkeys are an important model for human cognitive evolution, because like in humans – but unlike in other great apes - fathers and other group members are essential to successfully rear the offspring. By systematically comparing these cooperative breeders with more independently breeding primates, we can identify processes that are systematically associated with shared infant care, and how they impact performance in big-C contexts.
We thus study the cooperatively breeding common marmosets, both in the wild and in captivity, but also other primate species.
Our current projects include:
ERC Project ENGINE
In the ERC Project Engine we aim to investigate the role of interdependence on the evolution of the human mind.
SNF Project Acts of Assistance
This project aims to investigate cooperation and acts of assistance within species, especially focussing on why individuals help others that are not genetically related. The project studies two different primate species common marmosets and vervet monkeys.
NCCR Evolving Langauge
Our research group is part of the National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) a nationwide interdisciplinary research consortium that aims to solve the question of: What is language?