Tracing the genetic roots of behaviour, culture, and cognition across species

The Evolutionary Genetics Group (EGG) at the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology (University of Zurich) investigates the origins and evolution of behaviour, cognition, and social life. Our research bridges genetics, behavioural ecology, and anthropology to explore how complex traits emerge, diversify, and persist across evolutionary time.

We are particularly interested in the genetic and ecological processes that shape behaviours often considered uniquely human such as cooperation, culture, communication, and social intelligence. By identifying proximate genetic patterns and linking them to ecological and social environments, we aim to better understand the ultimate evolutionary causes behind these traits.

To address these questions, we take a comparative approach across species with complex social systems. Our work spans great apes and other primates, as well as distantly related taxa that share similar life-history strategies, such as dolphins. This cross-species perspective allows us to identify convergent evolutionary solutions to shared social and ecological challenges, offering deeper insight into the evolutionary pathways that led to human cognition and culture.

Our research combines long-term field studies, behavioural observation, and cutting-edge genomic and ecological methods. From the rainforests of Southeast Asia to the open waters of Shark Bay, we study animals in their natural environments, linking genetic variation to social behaviour, cultural traditions, and adaptation to changing ecosystems.

Through this integrative perspective, this group seeks to illuminate how genes, environments, and social systems interact to shape the diversity of minds and cultures across the animal kingdom.