Comparative Biocognition

Courses in SS 2026:

Eating like a pig - biological or cultural evolution? Part I
Study Project, weekly on Tuesdays, from 14.04.2026, 14:00-16:00, 68/E04

Language, Communication & Interaction
Seminar, dates: 15.04., 29.04., 06.05., 13.05., 20.05., 03.06., 08.07.26 14:00-15:30, 68/E04
(Prof. Dr. Nicole Gotzner, Dr. Annette Hohenberger, Prof. Dr. Lilian Weber, Prof. Dr. Simone Pika)

Selected research projects:

Our research project "The evolutionary roots of human trust: Empirical insights from chimpanzess" investigates the evolution of trust by focusing on one of humans‘ closest living relatives, the chimpanzees. A goal of our long-term, systematic research project on the evolution of trust is to collect and analyze quantitative data on social interactions of chimpanzees in the wild. We investigate whether and in what form trust plays a role among great apes and what influence social interactions have on trust, such as food sharing or conflict resolution. The project is funded by the Sievert Foundation for Science and Culture from April 2026 through March 2029.

In our research project Medical Cognition, we are investigating the origins of medical systems in human and non-human primates and the factors that influence the use of medicinal plants.

In our recently finished research project ‘Taking turns: The “missing” link in language evolution?’, which was funded by an ERC Consolidator Grant from the EU, we investigated whether co-operative speaker switching (‘turntaking’) is unique to humans, whether it is a precursor in the primate lineage, or whether it has evolved independently in different species.