Research Group - Robin Dunbar

Evolutionary Psychology and Behavioural Ecology Research Group

Research programme

Group members

MSc in Evolutionary
Psychology

Prof. Robin Dunbar FBA
Professor Dunbar has now moved to the Institute of Cognitive & Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Oxford.

Visit the Lucy Language Project

My principal interests focus on three major areas:

(i) Behavioural ecology of primates and ungulates:

A major focus concerns the decisions animals make about their social and reproductive strategies and involves field studies, combined with theoretical analyses based on modelling. Modelling approaches include the development of systems models of monkey and ape socioecology, simulation models of mating strategies using the gas dynamics equations (the “gas model”) and ESS models. Field studies of primates and ungulates in Europe, Africa, SE Asia and South America have explored the costs/benefits of grouping, territoriality and scent marking, time budgets and foraging strategies.

(ii) Behavioural ecology of humans:

Evolutionary principles have been used to explore a number of different aspects of human behaviour. A series of studies of mate choice patterns has used "Lonely Hearts" adverts. Analyses of church birth and death registers from NW Germany have been used to explore parental investment decisions in pre-industrial peasant communities. Other studies have looked at vigilance patterns in small groups, the influence of kinship on patterns of murder, revenge and alliance formation as revealed in Viking sagas, and the function and nature of conversation (the “gossip theory” of language evolution).

(iii) Cognitive mechanisms and brain evolution:

Attempts to understand the cognitive constraints on animals' social and reproductive strategies have led to studies of the evolution of brain size in primates (especially in relation to group size and other social variables), as well as experimental studies of social cognition (eg "theory of mind") in animals (so far, mainly chimpanzees and dolphins). These, in turn, have led to studies of the size, structure and dynamics of human social networks.

Current projects

(1) Size and structure of human social networks

This project is using a combination of empirical data, agent-based modelling and small group experiments to explore the size, composition and dynamics of human social networks, and the roles played by trust, obligation and frequency of interaction in maintaining relationships. [Funded by British Academy].

(2) Systems models of primate socioecology

This project is using linear programming and agent-based modelling approaches to understand how climatic and environmental variables and cognitive constraints limit social group size and composition in primates (including human foragers). Initially, this involves building a series of taxon-specific models, but the ultimate aim is to combine these separate models into a general model of primate societies – one that is good enough to project back into the fossil record. [Funded by British Academy Centenary Research Project and the Leverhulme Trust]

(3) Foraging ecology and population dynamics of wild goats

This project explores the role of climate variables (and, in particular, temperature) in regulating the behaviour and fertility, as well as grouping patterns, of wild goats ľ a species with a classic fission-fusion social system. It is based on field studies currently being carried out on the Isle of Rum (Scotland) [see below] and Great Orme (North Wales). The longer term plan is to develop additional study site on Islay (on of the southernmost of the Inner Hebrides islands) and elsewhere, and then to use data from a number of UK sites in comparative analyses and to build a systems model similar to those we are developing for primates.

(4) The social brain project

This uses a combination of comparative analyses and experimental studies to explore the structure and function of the primate (including human) brain, and aims to relate changing patterns of individual brain components to cognitive abilities in order to understand how these limit a species’ social behaviour.

Research opportunities

There are opportunities at both the postgraduate and postdoctoral levels on all these projects. Independently funded projects (or volunteers) for the Rum goat population are of particular interest because of the need to maintain longterm continuity of study on this population.

Rum Goat Project

The Rum Goat Project was started in 1980 and has run intermittently since then (continuously since 2000). The main focus of the project has been on population regulation, and in particular the ways in which the animals cope with both the thermal costs of living at high latitudes and the disruptive effects of the summer rut. In addition, we have been particularly interested in modeling male mating strategies and the fission-fusion aspects of social grouping.

The Project is based at Harris, on the west coast of the Isle of Rum, some 13 km over the hills from Kinloch (the only village on the island) and about the same distance from the Red Deer Project base at Kilmory in the north of the island. The main study area is a 10-km section of coastal sea-cliffs from Harris Bay to Guirdil Bay, and currently includes a population of around 200 goats. All the facilities on the island are provided courtesy of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). We use the Harris bothy as a base, but also have the use of accommodation in Kinloch. We have our own quad bike for transport on the island. Proposals for projects that would contribute to the overall aims of the project are welcome.

Recent projects have included:

Dr Jianbin Shi - Activity patterns and use of
  habitat.

Dr Kate Lloyd - Male mating strategies.

Lesley Watt - Roles of foraging ecology and
  parasites in population
  regulation.

Roz Anderson - Maternal time budgets.

Sara Calhim - Sexual segregation.

Publications

Books

Dunbar, Barrett & Lycett (in press). An Introduction to Evolutionary Psychology. Oxford: One World Books.

Dunbar (2004). The Human Story. London: Faber.

Barrett, Dunbar & Lycett (2002). Human Evolutionary Psychology. London: Palgrave/Macmillan and Princeton University Press.

Dunbar & Barrett. (2000). Cousins. BBC Worldwide: London.

Cowlishaw & Dunbar. (2000) Primate Conservation Biology. University of Chicago Press.

Dunbar, Knight, & Power (eds). (1999). The Evolution of Culture. Edinburgh University Press.

Runciman, Maynard Smith, & Dunbar (eds). (1997). Evolution of Culture and Language in Primates and Humans. Oxford University Press.

Dunbar (1996). Grooming, Gossip and the Evolution of Language. Faber Faber and Harvard University Press.

Dunbar (1995). The Trouble With Science. Faber Faber and Harvard University Press.

Dunbar (ed) (1995). Human Reproductive Decisions. Macmillan.

Dunbar (1988). Primate Social Systems. Chapman Hall and Yale University Press.

Dunbar (1984). Reproductive Decisions: An Economic Analysis of Gelada Baboon Social Strategies. Princeton University Press.

Articles (1997 - )

2004

Stiller, Nettle & Dunbar (2004). The small world of Shakespeare’s plays. Human Nat. 14: 397-408.

Shultz, Noe, McGraw & Dunbar (2004). Predator-specific risks and the evolution of mammalian prey group size. Proc. R. Soc.Lond., 271B: 725-732.

2003

Dunbar (2003). Why are apes so smart? In: P.Kappeler & M.Peirera (eds) Primate Life Histories, pp. 285-298. MIT Press.

Dunbar (2003). The social brain: mind, language and society in evolutionary perspective. Ann. Rev. Anthrop. 32: 163-181.

Dunbar (2003). The origin and evolution of language. In: M.Christiansen & S.Kirby (eds) Language Evolution: The States of the Art, pp. 219-234. Oxford University Press.

Dunbar (2003). Are there cognitive constraints on an e-world? In: K.Nyiri (ed) Mobile Communication: Essays on Cognition and Community, pp. 57-69. Vienna: Passagen Verlag.

Dunbar (2003). More on Greek Hoplites: Darwinism and social evolution. J. Roy. Anthrop. Inst. 8: 761-763.

Barrett, Henzi & Dunbar (2003). Primate cognition: from what now? to what if? Trends Cogn. Sci. 7: 494-497.

Hill & Dunbar (2003). Social network size in humans. Human Nature 14: 53-72.

Kerr, Dunbar & Bentall (2003). Theory of mind deficits in bipolar affective disorder. Psychol. Med. 73: 253-259.

O’Connell & Dunbar (2003). A test for comprehension of false belief in chimpanzees. Evol. Cognition 9: 131-139.

Shi, Dunbar, Buckland & Miller (2003). Daytime activity budgets in feral goats (Capra hircus) on the Isle of Rum: influence of season, age and sex. Canad. J. Zool. 81: 803-815.

2002

Dunbar, Cornah, Daly & Bowyer (2002). Vigilance in humans: a test of alternative hypotheses. Behaviour 139: 695-711.

Dunbar, Hannah-Stewart & Dunbar (2002). Forage quality and the costs of lactation for female gelada baboons. Anim. Behav. 64: 801-805.

Dunbar (2002). Modelling primate behavioural ecology. Int. J. Primatol. 23: 785-819.

Bereczkei & Dunbar (2002). Helpers-at-the-nest among Hungarian Gypsies. Current Anthrop. 43: 804-809.

Hill & Dunbar (2002). Climatic determinants of diet and foraging behaviour in baboons. Evol. Ecol. 16: 579-593.

2001

Dunbar (2001). Brains on two legs: group size and the evolution of social intelligence. In: F. de Waal (ed) Tree of Origin, p. 173-192. Harvard University Press.

Dunbar (2001). The economics of male mating strategies among primates. In: Economic Models of Animal and Human Behaviour (ed. J. van Hooff, R.Noë & P.Hammerstein), pp. 245-269. Cambridge Univ. Press.

Kelly & Dunbar (2001). Who dares wins: heroism versus altruism in female mate choice. Human Nature 12: 89-105.

Kudo & Dunbar (2001). Neocortex size and social network size in primates. Anim. Behav. 62: 711-722.

O’Reilly, Dunbar, & Bentall (2001). Schizotypy and creativity: a test of an evolutionary theory. Pers. & Individ. Diff. 31: 1067-1078.

Pawlowski & Dunbar (2001). Human mate choice strategies. In: Economic Models of Animal and Human Behaviour (ed. J. van Hooff, R.Noë & P.Hammerstein), pp. 187-202. Cambridge Univ. Press.

Tschudin, Call, Dunbar, Harris & van der Elst (2001). Comprehension of novel signs by dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). J. Comp. Psychology 115: 100-105.

2000

Dunbar (2000). Male mating strategies: a modelling approach. In: P.Kappeler (ed) Primate Males, pp.259-268. Cambridge University Press.

Dunbar (2000). Causal reasoning, mental rehearsal and the evolution of primate cognition. In: C.Heyes & L.Huber (eds) Evolution of Cognition, pp. 205-231. MIT Press.

Dunbar (2000). On the origin of the human mind. In: P.Carruthers & A.Chamberlain (eds) The Evolution of Mind, pp. 238-253. Cambridge University Press.

Pawlowski, Dunbar & Lipowicz (2000). Tall men have more reproductive success. Nature, 403: 156.

Lycett, Dunbar & Voland (2000). Longevity and the costs of reproduction in a historical human population. Proc R. Soc. Lond. 267B: 31-35.

Lycett & Dunbar (2000). Mobile phones as lekking devices among human males. Human Nature 11: 93-104.

Hill, Lycett & Dunbar (2000). Ecological and social determinants of birth intervals in baboons. Behav. Ecol. 11: 560-564.

Lan & Dunbar (2000). Bird and mammal conservation in Gaoligongshan Region and Jingdong County, China: patterns of species richness and nature reserves. Oryx 34: 275-286.

Roberts & Dunbar (2000). Female territoriality and the function of scent-marking in a monogamous antelope (Oreotragus oreotragus). Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 47: 417-423.

1999

Dunbar (1999). Culture, honesty and the freerider problem. In: R.Dunbar, C.Knight & C.Power (eds) The Evolution of Culture, pp. 194-213. Edinburgh Univ Press.

Lycett & Dunbar (1999). Abortion rates reflect optimisation of parental investment strategies. Proc. R. So. Lond. 266B: 2355-2358.

Pawlowski & Dunbar (1999). Withholding age as putative deception in mate search tactics. Evol. Human Behav. 20: 53-69.

Pawlowski & Dunbar (1999). Impact of market value on human mate choice decisions. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. 266B: 281-285.

Williamson & Dunbar (1999). Energetics, time budgets and group size. In: P.C.Lee (ed) Comparative Primate Socioecology pp. 318-336. Cambridge University Press.

1998

Dunbar. (1998) The social brain hypothesis. Evol. Anthrop. 6: 178-190.

Dunbar (1998). Impact of global warming on the distribution and survival of the gelada baboon: a modelling approach. Global Change Biol. 4: 293-304.

Dunbar & Bever (1998) Neocortex size determines group size in insectivores and carnivores. Ethology, 104: 695-708.

Hill & Dunbar. (1998). An evaluation of the roles of predation rate and predation risk as selective pressures on primate grouping behaviour. Behaviour, 135: 411-430.

Joffe & Dunbar (1998). Tarsier brain component composition and its implications for systematics. Primates, 39: 211-216.

Kinderman, Dunbar & Bentall (1998) Theory of mind and attributional style. Brit. J. Psychol. 89: 191-204.

Pawlowski, Lowen, & Dunbar, (1998) Neocortex size, social skills and mating success in primates. Behaviour, 135: 357-368 .

Strassmann & Dunbar. (1998) Human evolution and disease: putting the Stone Age in perspective. In: S.C.Stearns (ed) Darwinism and Health. Oxford University Press (in press).

1997

Barton & Dunbar. (1997) Evolution of the social brain. In: Byrne Whiten (eds) Machiavellian Intelligence II, pp. 240-263. Cambridge University Press.

Bereczkei & Dunbar. (1997). Female-biased reproductive strategies in a Hungarian Gypsy population. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. 264B: 17-22.

Joffe & Dunbar. (1997). Visual and socio-cognitive information processing in primate brain evolution. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. 264B: 1303-1307.

Nettle & Dunbar. (1997). Social markers and the evolution of reciprocal exchange. Current Anthrop. 38: 93-99.

Voland, Dunbar, Engel, & Stephan. (1997). Population increase and sex-biased parental investment in humans: evidence from 18th and 19th century Germany. Current Anthrop. 38: 129-135.