Increasingly, researchers in human evolutionary studies are realizing the importance of culture and social learning in shaping human evolution. Indeed the ways in which humans cooperate with non-kin, for example, via food-sharing, allo-parenting, hunting, and elderly care, is a defining characteristic distinguishing our species from other primates. Some even argue that extreme prosocial cooperation enabled humans to become Earth's most widely dispersed and biologically successful species.

The African Paleosciences Laboratory conducts experiments to address the following questions: When and how did our ancestors evolve the capacity for prosocial cooperation? Was cumulative culture influential in the evolutionary success of the human lineage? How did different kinds of teaching and learning influence hominin skill acquisition and toolmaking abilities?

Click on the links below to learn more about the lab's published research on human social learning and toolmaking abilities.