08.08.2020 - 15:37
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Research Focus

Research Topics

Linguistic and Cultural Evolution (Gray)
Comparative Cultural Psychology (Haun)
Human Evolution (Hublin)
Archaeogenetics (Krause)
Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture (McElreath)
Evolutionary Genetics (Pääbo)

Detailed Description of the Institute


The Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, led by Russell Gray, aims to answer big picture questions about human history. Its focus is on describing and explaining the major patterns of linguistic and cultural variation across the globe. To achieve this the department develops novel language documentation methods, global linguistic and cultural databases, and analyses using evolutionary theories and computational methods. This thoroughly interdisciplinary approach enables researchers at the department to combine the quantitative rigour of the natural sciences while still utilising the insights that only come from maintaining close contact with the primary linguistic and cultural data.

Led by Daniel Haun, the Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology combines approaches from developmental, cross-cultural and comparative psychology, to study uniquely human cultural diversity and the universal cognitive mechanisms that enable and constrain it.


Led by Johannes Krause, the Department of Archaeogenetics utilizes the recent advances in molecular approaches on biomolecules, such as stable isotope research and genome wide DNA sequencing, to uncover an entirely new spectrum of information that can be retrieved from sample repositories such as anthropological and archaeological collections. It is now possible to obtain detailed information about genetic relationships, geographical origin, selective processes or genetic structure of historical and prehistorical human, plant, animal or even pathogen populations using only miniscule samples.

