Aplin Lab

Cognitive & Cultural Ecology

I was recently profiled by Current Biology - you can view it here

Lucy Aplin

I head the  Cognitive and Cultural Ecology (CCE) Group, and lead the Clever Cockies Research  Project (CULTURES ADAPT)

I currently hold joint positions as SERI Professorial Fellow at the University of Zurich and Associate Professor at the Australian National University. 

Previously, I was a Max Planck Research Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Animal Behaviour, Junior Research Fellow at St John's College, University of Oxford. I studied for my PhD jointly at the Australian National University and the University of Oxford.

To find out, check out CV and Google scholar

Our research focuses on interactions between cognition, sociality and ecology. We are especially interested in the emergent properties of social networks and culture. 

In the SERI grant CULTURES ADAPT, we are conducting a landscape level look of socio-cognitive responses to human impact, using sulphur-crested cockatoo as a model system.

In general, we have fun expanding our reach with automated data collection, from GPS tags and microphone backpacks to PIT tag interfacing puzzle-boxes. We also incorporate citizen-science data collection.

We work on parrots and parids in the wild and in the lab. Our research projects include social cognition and urban culture in sulphur-crested cockatoos, vocal learning in parakeets and cultural evolution in tits.

Contact details 
Email:  laplin [at] anu.edu.au OR lucy.aplin [at] uzh.ch OR clevercockies.rsb [at] anu.edu.au
Addresses: Dr Lucy Aplin, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 46 Sullivan's Creek Rd, ACTON 2601 AU  ORDr Lucy Aplin, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrass 190, 8057 Zurich