Links about Evolution/Sociobiology/Anthropology/Ethology

Henri Rousseau, The sleeping Gypsy, 1897, Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA

Επιστημονικές Εταιρείες/Σύλλογοι/Οργανισμοί

European Society for Evolutionary Biology  The ESEB is an academic society that brings together over 1400 evolutionary biologists from Europe and the rest of the world – researchers, academic teachers, students, as well as journalists and other persons interested in evolution. By joining you become part of this academic community.

European Society for Evolutionary Developmental Biology   The aim of the society is to promote evolutionary developmental biology by regularly organizing meetings on this subject in Europe. The scientific program consists of plenary sessions, symposia, contributed talks and poster sessions. The society welcomes scientists from all over the world.

The Society for the Study of Evolution  The Society for the Study of Evolution was founded in March, 1946. The objectives of the Society for the Study of Evolution are the promotion of the study of organic evolution and the integration of the various fields of science concerned with evolution. The Society publishes the scientific journal Evolution and holds annual meetings in which scientific findings on evolutionary biology are presented and discussed.

Human Behavior & Evolution Society, USA  HBES is a society for all those studying the evolution of human behavior. Scientific perspectives range from evolutionary psychology to evolutionary anthropology and cultural evolution; and the membership includes researchers from a range of disciplines in the social and biological sciences. Our membership is worldwide.

NorthEastern Evolutionary Psychology Society, USA  NEEPS is the first regional sister organization of the Human Behavior and Evolution Society. We welcome all researchers and students of human behavior with an interest in applying evolutionary principles to the mind and behavior. This society is designed to facilitate interactions among scholars who study psychological questions from an evolutionary perspective. 

Applied Evolutionary Psychology Society  The mission of the Applied Evolutionary Psychology Society (AEPS) is to promote the use of evolutionary theory in applied fields such as policy-making, business, law, education, medicine, and mental health. To achieve this goal, AEPS holds academic workshops and conferences to provide resources for, and connections between, researchers on the one hand, and practitioners, policy-makers, executives, and the general public on the other.

EvoS, The Evolutionary Studies Consortium   The Evolutionary Studies (EvoS) Consortium is designed to facilitate the development and implementation of Evolutionary Studies Programs at colleges and universities across the United States. An Evolutionary Studies Program introduces students from all majors to evolutionary theory early in their academic careers, emphasizes human-related subjects in addition to biological, promotes the continuation of evolutionary training throughout the undergraduate education, and promotes faculty training and collaborative research related to evolution.

European Human Behaviour & Evolution Association  The European Human Behaviour and Evolution Association (EHBEA*) is an interdisciplinary society that supports the activities of European researchers with an interest in evolutionary accounts of human cognition, behaviour and society. 

Society for Evolutionary Analysis in Law  The Society for Evolutionary Analysis in Law (SEAL) is a scholarly association dedicated to fostering interdisciplinary exploration of issues at the intersection of law, biology, and evolutionary theory, improving the models of human behavior relevant to law, and promoting the integration of life science and social science perspectives on law-relevant topics through scholarship, teaching, and empirical research.

Society for Molecular Biology & Evolution  The Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution is an international organization whose goals are to provide facilities for association and communication among molecular evolutionists and to further the goals of molecular evolution, as well as its practitioners and teachers. 

Feminist Evolutionary Psychology Society  The Feminist Evolutionary Psychology Society (FEPS) exists to bridge two scientific viewpoints that are often in opposition: evolutionary psychology and feminism. We believe that each can be unified into a productive study of the evolution of humans. Each approach has historically adopted some biases that impede a full understanding of the complexities of human psychology, particularly a perspective of psychology that includes aspects of our shared evolution as well as cultural and environmental influences.

The International Society for Human Ethology  The International Society for Human Ethology aims at promoting ethological perspectives in the scientific study of humans worldwide.ISHE encourages empirical research in all fields of human behavior using the full range of methods developed in biology and the human behavioral sciences and operating within the conceptual framework provided by evolutionary theory. The Society aims at promoting the exchange of knowledge and opinions concerning human ethology with all the other empirical sciences of human behavior and it administers its funds to support this purpose.

Evolution, Biology & Society Section of the American Sociological Association  The section on Evolution, Biology and Society is designed to improve dialogue between sociology and the biological sciences. Of particular concern is the interaction between material and social environments with biological processes and evolved predispositions common to all humans. The section creates a community of scholars within sociology who can critique and develop new research in the area.Specific topics of interest to those in the section include the implications of biology, evolutionary biology and neurobiology for human behavior, the relationship between biochemical and hormonal processes and behavior, the consequences of evolved psychological predispositions for social processes, primatology, hominid evolution as it affects human nature, stage-model evolution, world systems dynamics, and human ecology.

Australasian Evolution Society  The society was established in 1998 at the University of Queensland, and the intention of members is to make it grow and persist as a vigorous and stimulating forum. The aims of our relatively young society are to foster interest and intellectual exchange among those interested in all facets of evolution. The society intends to realise these aims by holding a conference every two years, and by various exchanges fostered by this web page.

Canadian Society for Ecology & Evolution  The Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution (CSEE) is a non-partisan group of practicing ecologists and evolutionary biologists throughout Canada.

Evolution & the Nature of Science Institutes, USA  The main objective of ENSI is to improve the teaching of evolution in High School Biology courses by encouraging teachers to teach evolutionary thinking in the context of a more complete understanding of modern scientific thinking.

American Anthropological Association  Founded in 1902, the American Anthropological Association (AAA) is the world’s largest organization of individuals interested in anthropology. Although there were several other American anthropological societies in existence at the turn of the 20th century, this new, national organization was formed “to promote the science of anthropology, to stimulate and coordinate the efforts of American anthropologists, to foster local and other societies devoted to anthropology, to serve as a bond among American anthropologists and anthropologic[al] organizations present and prospective, and to publish and encourage the publication of matter pertaining to anthropology” (AAA Articles of Incorporation). At its incorporation, the Association also assumed responsibility for the American Anthropologist, which was originally begun in 1888 by the Anthropological Society of Washington (ASW). By 1905, the journal also served the American Ethnological Society, in addition to the AAA and ASW.

American Association of Physical Anthropologists  Physical anthropology is a biological science that deals with the adaptations, variability, and evolution of human beings and their living and fossil relatives. Because it studies human biology in the context of human culture and behavior, physical anthropology is also a social science. The AAPA is the world’s leading professional organization for physical anthropologists. Formed by 83 charter members in 1930, the AAPA now has an international membership of over 1,700. The Association’s annual meetings draw more than a thousand scientists and students from all over the world.

Ερευνητικά Ινστιτούτα/Κέντρα/Εργαστήρια

Conrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution & Cognition Research, Austria  The KLI is an international center for advanced studies in theoretical biology. It supports the articulation, analysis, and integration of biological theories and the exploration of their wider scientific and cultural significance. The institute is located in Altenberg, near Vienna, in the family mansion of the Nobel Laureate Konrad Lorenz, whose work laid the foundation for an evolutionary approach to mind and cognition.The KLI supports theoretical research primarily in the areas of evolutionary developmental biology and evolutionary cognitive science. This is accomplished by providing fellowships for scientific projects of graduate students, postdocs, and visiting scientists. In addition, the KLI organizes lecture series at the University of Vienna and hosts round-table discussions and workshops at the Lorenz mansion. The KLI houses the Konrad Lorenz Archive and it provides an extensive internet database for literature in theoretical biology and related fields.

The Leakey Foundation, USA  The mission of The Leakey Foundation is to increase scientific knowledge, education, and public understanding of human origins, evolution, behavior, and survival.

The Human Nature Project, University of New England, USA  The Human Nature Project is an interdisciplinary center for research and education into human nature. The Human Nature Project draws on the best work in both the humanities and the sciences to throw light on human nature and to use this knowledge to address some of the most pressing problems facing humanity today—problems such as war, genocide, xenophobia, anthropogenic climate change, and environmental degradation.

Center of Evolutionary Psychology, UCSanta Barbara, USA  The University of California, Santa Barbara has developed one of the largest and most active communities of researchers in evolutionary psychology and allied disciplines in the world. To provide support for research and comprehensive training in this area, and to facilitate multidisciplinary and multi-university collaboration, UCSB has established the Center for Evolutionary Psychology directed by Leda Cosmides & John Tooby. The goals of the Center are (1) to promote the discovery and systematic mapping of the adaptations that comprise the evolved species-typical architecture of the human mind and brain, and (2) to explore how cultural and social phenomena can be explained as the output of such newly discovered or newly mapped psychological adaptations.

Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Germany  The Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology is one of the world’s leading centres for research in socio-cultural anthropology. It was established in 1999 by Chris Hann (Resilience and Transformation in Eurasia) and Günther Schlee (Integration and Conflict) in Halle/Saale. Marie-Claire Foblets (Law & Anthropology) joined the Institute as its third Director in 2012. Common to all research projects at the Max Planck Institute is the comparative analysis of social change; it is primarily in this domain that its researchers contribute to anthropological theory, though many programmes also have applied significance and political topicality. Fieldwork is an essential part of almost all projects.

Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Germany  The Max Planck Institute for Human Development is dedicated to the study of human development and education. Researchers of various disciplines – including psychology, education, sociology and medicine, as well as history, economics, computer science and mathematics – work together on interdisciplinary projects at the Berlin Institute. The research questions they examine include how people make effective decisions even under time pressure and information overload, which effects the institution of school has on students’ development and learning processes, how the interaction between behaviour and brain function changes over a person’s lifespan, as well as how human emotions change in a historical context and how they have affected the course of history itself.

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Germany  Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology study the fundamental laws of evolution. They are keen to understand how new characteristics become established and how new species emerge. One of the major research subjects at the Institute is the analysis of genes that enable mice to adapt to their environment. In addition to this, they also examine how evolution brought forth sexuality, and what evolutionary advantages result from this. To this effect, the scientists combine field observations with lab and field experiments. Furthermore, they compile genealogical trees of related species with the help of genetic analyses. Computer models help them to formulate and test theoretical concepts of evolution as well.

Human Evolutionary Ecology Group, University College London, UK  The Human Evolutionary Ecology Group, located in the Department of Anthropology at UCL and led by Ruth Mace, is one of the largest groups of researchers investigating human evolutionary ecology in the UK. We study human behaviour and life history as adaptations to local environments – which includes not only human behavioural ecology but also evolutionary demography and cultural evolution. Areas of interest include human reproductive scheduling and life history, patterns of parental investment, the origins of human marriage and kinship systems, cultural phylogenetics and the evolution of social institutions, and the evolutionary ecology of co-operation. We are running a range of projects including those based on field studies ranging from traditional rural African and Asian populations to post-industrial, urban populations in the UK and Europe, and some that are making use of existing historical or modern medical or demographic datasets.

Evolutionary Anthropology Research Group, Durham University, UK  Members of the Evolutionary Anthropology Research Group (EARG) carry out work on topics as diverse as the origins and prehistoric dispersals of human species and populations; the comparative analysis of primate social structures, physical traits and behaviours; the evolution of the brain and cognitive faculties; and the transmission of culture through social learning. A defining feature of the EARG’s identity is that we combine eclecticism with a strong collaborative ethos, encouraging members to share insights into theoretical and/or methodological problems that often turn out to have much more in common than they at first appear to. In this spirit, we are individually and jointly pursuing a number of projects that seek to answer several important, long-standing questions in evolutionary anthropology, as well opening new fields of inquiry into areas that overlap substantially with disciplines such as psychology, archaeology and conservation biology.

Center for Behavior, Evolution, & Culture, UCLA, USA  The UCLA Center for Behavior, Evolution, and Culture(BEC) unites scholars exploring the connections among evolution, culture, the mind, and society. BEC provides a framework to facilitate research and training on the interaction among natural selection, cultural transmission, social relations, and psychology.

Evolutionary Psychology Lab, Oakland University, USA  The focus of the Evolutionary Psychology Lab is on the psychology of close relationships, particularly romantic relationships. We study phenomena such as jealousy, infidelity, relationship satisfaction, physical abuse, and sexuality. Current research projects include a diary study of conflict within married couples, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and a study of couples involved in violent relationships, funded by the State of Florida. Another line of work addresses murder and violence, particularly in romantic relationships, using national crime data, and funded by The Woodhill Foundation.

Program for Evolutionary Dynamics, Harvard University, USA  “Evolutionary dynamics” is the study of the fundamental mathematical principles that guide evolution. The Program for Evolutionary Dynamics (PED) at Harvard University was established in 2003 and is dedicated to research and teaching. Martin Nowak, Professor of Mathematics and of Biology at Harvard University, is the director of this program. May Huang is the Chief Administrative Officer. Our current research topics include: culturomics, eusociality, evolution of cooperation, cancer, viruses, evolutionary game/graph/set theory, happiness, networks, banks, prelife, spatial selection, and experimental games.

Evolution & Human Behavior Laboratory, University of Miami, USA  The EHB Lab’s approach to psychology integrates the principles of evolutionary biology to explain human behavior; that is, we look to our evolutionary past to shed light on how and why we behave the way we do in the present.

Evolution & Human Adaptation Program, University of Michigan, USA  The Evolution and Human Adaptation Program supports work by faculty and students at the University of Michigan in the area of evolution and human behavior, including work relevant to Darwinian medicine.The program organizes a series of seminars throughout the academic year, and provide contacts for students to get advice, support and sometimes research money to pursue work in this area.The program does not offer a degree, so prospective students should apply through specific departments. The departments of Psychology, Philosophy, Anthropology, Economics, Political Science, Psychiatry and Biology are the most involved in the program.

Pennsylvania Laboratory for Experimental Evolutionary Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, USA  The Penn Laboratory for Experimental Evolutionary Psychology (PLEEP), established by Robert Kurzban, an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department at the University of Pennsylvania, conducts experimental research informed by evolutionary considerations, largely focused on evolved cognitive adaptations for social life. Evolution gave rise to mechanisms designed to solve the bewildering array of problems that humans faced, from problems of survival to navigating the intricate strategic dynamics of the social world. Was there an adaptive problem faced by our ancestors for a substantial period of human history? If so, then, yeah, there’s an adaptation for that. Research in the lab is currently being conducted on morality,  cooperation, friendship, mate choice, supernatural beliefs, modularity, self-control, and other topics.

Research Group on Evolution & Higher Cognition, Rutgers University, USA   The Research Group on Evolution and Higher Cognition was established to investigate the mechanisms involved in a range of higher cognitive capacities and to explore ways in which theoretical and empirical work on the evolution of the mind can interface productively with more traditional approaches to theory construction in cognitive science. Current projects include: Studies of the cognitive mechanisms underlying Mindreading, Pretense, Moral Cognition, Scientific Cognition. Research into the ways in which the resources of evolutionary psychology can be brought to bear on issues about Rationality, Mental Disorder, The Scope and Limits of Social Construction.

Individual Diferences & Evolutionary Psychology Program, The University of Texas @ Austin, USA  The IDEP Area at the University of Texas offers a Ph.D. in psychology.  We provide advanced research training in a broad range of topics, particularly behavioral-genetic and evolutionary processes. In addition to their research with faculty members in the IDEP area, IDEP graduate students are encouraged to collaborate with other faculty members both in the Department of Psychology and in other departments throughout the university (e.g. Biology, Sociology, Human Development). In addition, the IDEP Area offers opportunities for undergraduates to become involved in research. Training and research in the IDEP area falls within two overlapping spheres: Individual Differences Psychology and Evolutionary Psychology.

Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, USA  The Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University is one of the leading research organization in the United States devoted to the science of human origins. Embedded within ASU’s School of Human Evolution and Social Change, IHO pursues a transdisciplinary strategy for field and analytical paleoanthropological research central to its 30-year-old founding mission—integrating social, earth, and life science approaches to the most important questions concerning the course, timing, and causes of human evolutionary change over deep time. IHO links to its research activities innovative public outreach programs that create timely, accurate information for education and lay communities.

IGERT Program in Evolutionary Modeling, Washington State University & University of Washington, USA  IPEM aims to integrate biological and anthropological perspectives through a shared curriculum that emphasizes adaptation and diversification in genomic, behavioral, and cultural domains, and training in models for studying evolutionary processes across these domains. Our goal is to produce professionals fluent in theory and in quantitative methods (including computational modeling, game theory, phylogenetic analysis, and other field and laboratory techniques) for analyzing evolutionary patterns and processes in non-humans and humans, in prehistory as well as in the contemporary world.

Human Evolution Research Center, UC Berkeley, USA  The Human Evolution Research Center (HERC), at the University of California Berkeley, is dedicated to the study of human origins and evolution. HERC represents an international focal point for field and laboratory research and education. It is a center for the study of the process and products of human evolution. Research by the Human Evolution Research Center includes both field and laboratory investigation. The many steps in the process of generating knowledge about human origins and evolution are illustrated in this interactive diagram. Current HERC-based research efforts include Middle Awash Project and the Revealing Hominid Origins Initiative (RHOI).

Evolutionary Anthropology @ Duke University, USA  Understanding our place in nature is an age-old mission that crosses many disciplines. Our mission is focused on understanding who we are and how we came to look and act the way we do from an evolutionary perspective. In that goal we pursue studies of anatomy, behavior, genetics, physiology, ecology, and many other areas in humans and our close relatives – the primates.

Human Evolution Research, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, USA  The Smithsonian’s Human Origins Program conducts field and lab research on the evolutionof early human adaptations. Our key research partners are in East Africa and East Asia – especially in Kenya, China, and Indonesia. Our digs and studies in these regions, along with investigations by associates working in Ethiopia, Tanzania, India, Mozambique, among other countries, help generate scientific data on the long-term interaction of human ancestors with their surroundings. Curiosity about human origins drives our research. The research supports our effort to bring the latest findings to public audiences worldwide.

Labs @ the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, USA  Behavioral Ecology Research Group; Biogeochemistry Lab; Comparative Lactation Lab; Comparative Primatology  Research Group; Dental Hard Tissue Lab; Molecular Evolution Lab; Nutritional Ecology Lab; Paleoanthropology Lab; Reproductive Ecology Lab; Skeletal Biology Lab. 

The Frances H. Arnold Research Group, CIT, USA  Research in the Arnold group focuses on evolutionary design methods applied to biological systems (enzymes, metabolic pathways, genetic circuits and ecosystems) and using the results of laboratory evolution experiments to elucidate principles of biological design.We are using methods of laboratory evolution to generate novel and useful enzymes and organisms for applications in medicine and in alternative energy. We construct entire synthetic families of enzymes in order to study structure-function relationships free from constraints of natural selection.We also construct new biosynthetic pathways and circuits for controlling gene expression and intercellular signaling capabilities. Our goal is to develop design principles for engineering complex biological systems and to use the results of laboratory evolution experiments to elucidate why nature’s designs work the way they do.This research requires contributions from many disciplines, including chemistry, bioengineering, biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, chemical engineering, chemistry and applied physics.

Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Australia  The Centre’s purpose is to build capacity for and quality of research, including postgraduate research and supervision. To do so, we provide seed funding for innovative new research collaborations, recognize excellence in research, learning and supervision, run an innovative Graduate Program in Evolution & Ecology, and engage in public outreach relating to evolution and ecology. The Centre’s purpose is to build capacity for and quality of research, including postgraduate research and supervision. There are thirteen labs operating under the auspices of the Centre and more than sixteen major research projects.

Διάφορα

The Link   Showcases the discovery and significance of “Ida”, a 47 million year old primate fossil, hailed as the missing link between lemurs and more modern primates in the human evolutionary story. Ida is the most complete early primate fossil ever found, and scientists believe that she could be one of our earliest ancestors. She is a remarkable link between the first primates and modern humans and despite having lived 47 million years ago, her features show striking similarities to our own.

Human Evolution @ the Natural History Museum, London, UK  Information about the Piltdown man, the links between chimps and humans, evolution of modern humans, and the ancient human occupation of Britain.

Modern Human Origins  This website was created to  help students of paleoanthropology and to also give them the pool of data and general information needed to come to a fuller understanding of human evolution.

River Apes – Coastal People  Information regarding both the classic Aquatic Ape Theory and the author’s particular “riverine” interpretation.

Extinct Hominid Species  Human evolution related site centered on the discovery of a new hominid species evidence in Chad, a fossil skull nicknamed Toumai.

Neoteny, Autism, & Evolution  A site by Andrew Lehman. My passion is evolutionary theory. I concentrate on patterns or convergences and connections between evolution, societal transformation, ontogeny, politics and personal change. Central to the thesis is neoteny. Closely related to neoteny is autism. The relationship between neoteny, autism and evolution is often a focus of this website. Neoteny is the evolutionary biological principle that the infant features of a species can evidence themselves in the adults of their descendants. Our chimp-like evolutionary precursor had infants with features very much like contemporary adults (small jaws, big eyes, large head, playful disposition, upright posture, etc). Neoteny is integral to how humans evolved. I hypothesize that social structure and environmental effects are integral to how neoteny influences our evolution.

Evolution Research News, The Academic Guide to Evolution News & Research   Evolution Research News is a research tool for biologists, students, and teachers, covering natural selection, origin of life, phylogenetics, and all other aspects of evolutionary biology, as well as Darwinism, Creationism, Intelligent Design (ID), and associated controversies.