Lucy Aplin

Professor Lucy Aplin is a member of the Research School of Biology at The Australian National University. Her research focuses on the interactions between cognition, sociality, and ecology, particularly in birds. She is especially interested in the emergent properties of these interactions, including social networks, animal culture, and cultural evolution. Recent work has examined the spread of innovation across social and geographic networks and how cultures change over time in response to social and environmental factors. She leads the Cognitive and Cultural Ecology (CCE) Group and heads the SERI (ERC StG) project CULTURES ADAPT.

Lucy Aplin is a researcher at the Australian National University and the Institute of Evolutionary Biology at the University of Zurich. Her work focuses on behavioural ecology, animal culture, animal cognition, and social networks. She investigates how social learning and conformity shape cultural traditions in wild bird populations, with a particular emphasis on great tits and parrots. Her research explores the interplay between individual personality, social structure, and collective behaviour in avian species. Aplin's studies highlight the role of social networks in information transmission and the impact of ecological factors on animal social dynamics. Her work contributes to understanding the evolutionary and conservation significance of animal culture.