R. McElreath

The refinement paradox and cumulative cultural evolution: collective improvement in knowledge favors conformity, blind copying and hyper-credulity

The paper uses a computer tournament to show that refining knowledge can be advantageous initially but leads to conformity and blind copying in complex cultures.

Modelling human and non-human animal network data in R using STRAND

The paper introduces the STRAND R package for Bayesian generative modelling of social network data in humans and non-human animals, with a tutorial on its usage.

The Life History of Human Foraging: Cross-Cultural and Individual Variation

The paper analyzes hunting skill data from 1,800 individuals to infer age-related productivity patterns and variation in human foraging.

Rapid environmental change in games: complications and curiosities

The paper shows that existing game theory models require additional mechanistic details to predict the effects of rapid environmental change on behavior.

The Evolution Of Covert Signaling

The paper introduces a mathematical model to study how covert signaling can evolve to enhance cooperation by allowing strategic ambiguity in communication.

Complex Dynamics From Simple Cognition: The Primary Ratchet Effect In Animal Culture

The paper models how simple social learning can create a primary ratchet effect, increasing adaptive behavior prevalence in animal societies without specialized cognition.

Payoff-biased social learning underlies the diffusion of novel extractive foraging traditions in a wild primate

The paper studies social learning strategies in wild capuchin monkeys, finding payoff-biased and age-biased learning drive the spread of new foraging techniques.