Publications

[Preprints]

1. Aplin, LM. Social learning and culture in Birds (class Aves). Chapter in: Oxford Handbook of Cultural Evolution, Eds. Healy, S., ten Cate, C. J. (Oxford University Press). In production.

2.   Penndorf, J., Farine, DR., Martin, JM. & Aplin, LM. Parrot politics: social decision-making in wild parrots relies on both individual recognition and intrinsic markers. bioRxiv 2023.10 26.560599.

3.  Smeele, S., Senar, JC., McElreath, MB. & Aplin, LM. The effect of social structure on vocal flexibility in monk parakeets. bioRxiv 2024.09 20.614070.

4.  Chimento, M., Chan, AHH., Aplin, LM., Kano, F. Peering into the world of wild passerines with 3D-SOCS: synchronized video capture and posture estimation. bioRxiv 2024.06 30.601375.

5.   Penndorf, J., Farine, DR., Martin, JM. & Aplin, LM. Long-term stability of dominance hierarchies in a wild parrot with fission-fusion dynamics. bioRxiv 2024.05 15.594429.

[2024]

1. Chimento, CM., Alarcon-Nieto, G. & Aplin, LM. (2024) Immigrant birds use payoff biased social learning in spatially variable environments. Plos Biology (in press).

2. Farine, DR., Penndorf, J., Bolcato, S., Nyaguthii, B. & Aplin, LM. (2024) Low cost animal tracking using Bluetooth low energy beacons on a crowd-sourced network. Methods in Ecology and Evolution (in press)

3. Fehlmann G., Marin, JM., Safi, K., & Aplin LM. Wild sulphur-crested cockatoos match human activity rhythms to access food in the urban environment. Urban Ecosystems (in press)

4.  Smeele, S., Tyndel, S., Klump, B., Alarcon-Nieto, G. & Aplin, LM. (2024) Callsync: an R package for alignment and analysis of multi-microphone animal recordsing. Ecology and Evolution 14: e11384.

5. Zurek, N., Aljadeff, N., Khoury, D., Aplin, LM. & Lotem, A. (2014) Social demonstration of colour preference improves the learning of associated demonstrated actions. Animal Cognition 27: 31.

6. Wild, S., Alarcon-Nieto, G. & Aplin, LM. (2024) The Ontogeny of social networks in wild great tits (Parus major). Behavioral Ecology 35: arae011.

7.  Chimento, M. & Aplin, LM. (2024) Understanding the role of naïve learners in cultural change. American Naturalist 203: 695-712.

8. Smeele, SQ.*, Tyndel, SA., Aplin, LM.** & McElreath, MB.** Multi-level Bayesian analysis of monk parakeet contact calls shows dialects between cities in the European invasive range. Behavioral Ecology 35: 1-11.

[2023]

1. Wild, S., Alarcon-Nieto, G., Chimento, CM. & Aplin, LM. (2023) Manipulating actions: a selective two-option device for cognitive experiments in wild animals. Journal of Animal Ecology 92: 1509-1519.

2. Smeele, SQ., Senar, JC., Aplin LM.** & McElreath, MB.** (2023) Evidence for vocal signatures and voice-prints in a wild parrot. Royal Society Open Science 10: 230835.

3. Penndorf, J., Ewart, KM., Klump, BC., Martin, JM. & Aplin, LM. (2023) Multi-network analysis reveals context-dependent kin relationships in wild sulphur-crested cockatoos, Cacatua galertia. Journal of Animal Ecology 92: 171-182.

4.   Wild, TA., Wikelski, M., Tyndel, S., Alarcón‐Nieto, G., Klump, BC., Aplin, LM., Meboldt, M. & Williams, HJ. (2023) Internet on Animals: WiFi enabled devices provide a solution for big data transmission in bio-logging. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 14: 87-102.

5.  Markovic, D., Aljadeff, N., Aplin, LM. & Lotem, A. (2023) Increased initial task difficult drives social foragers to develop sub-optimal conformity instead of adaptive diversity. Royal Society Open Science 10: 230715

6. Abdu, S., Eisenring, M., Zúniga, D., Alarcón-Nieto, G., Schmid, H., Aplin, LM., Brandl, HB. & Farine, DR. (2023) The presence of air sac nematodes in passerines and near-passerines in southern Germany. International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife 21: 174-178.

7. Ogino, M., Maldonaldo-Chapparo, AA., Aplin, LM. & Farine, DR. (2023) Group-level differences in social network structure remain repeatable after accounting for environmental drivers. Royal Society Open Science 10: 2307-15.

8.   Vistalli, S. Jager, T., Aplin LM.** & Wild, S.** (2023) Tits (Paridae sp.) use social information when locating and choosing nest lining material. Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology, 77: 1-13.

[2022]

1. Aplin, LM. Primer: Culture in birds. Current Biology 32: R1136-1140.

2. Aplin, LM. Social learning and culture in Birds (class Aves). Chapter in: Oxford Handbook of Cultural Evolution, Eds. Healy, S., ten Cate, C. J. (Oxford University Press). In production

3. Smeele, SQ.*, Tyndel, SA.* Aplin, LM.*, McElreath, MB* Multi-level analysis of monk parakeet vocalisations shows emergent dialects between cities in the European invasive range. BioRxiv

4. Penndorf, J., Ewart, KM., Klump, BC., Martin, JM., Aplin. LM.  Social network analysis reveals context-dependent kin relationships in wild sulphur-crested cockatoos, Cacatua galerita.  Journal of Animal Ecology, 92: 171-182.

5. Klump, BC., Major, RE., Farine, DR., Martin, JM., Aplin, LM. (2022) Is bin-opening in cockatoos leading to an innovation arms race with humans? Current Biology.   32: R910-911.

6. Chimento M, Barrett, BJ, Kandler, A, Aplin, LM. (2022) Cultural diffusion dynamics depend on behavioural production rules. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 289: 202231001.

7. Abdu, S., Chimento, M., Alarcon-Nieto, G., Zuniga, D., Aplin, LM.*, Farine, DR.*, Brandl, H.* (2022) The performance of field sampling for parasite detection in a wild passerine. Ecology and Evolution, 12: e9242. [*co-senior authors]

8. Wild, S., Alarcon-Nieto, G., Chimento, CM., Aplin, LM. (2022) Manipulating actions: a selective two-option device for cognitive experiments in wild animals. Journal of Animal Ecology (early online view).

9. Chimento, M., Aplin, LM. (2022) Optimal population turnover regimes for cultural evolution depend on networks size, density and behavioral transmissibility. BioRxiv

10. Smeele, SQ, Conde, DA, Baudisch, A, Bruslund, S, Iwaniuk, A, Staerk, J, Wright, TF, Young, AM, McElreath, MB*, Aplin, LM*. Coevolution of brain size and longevity in parrots. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 288: 20203197.  [*co-senior authors]

11. Wild, S*, Chimento M*, McMahon, K, Farine, DR, Sheldon, B, Aplin LM. (2022) Complex foraging behaviours in wild birds emerge from social learning and recombination of components. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 377: 20200307.  [*co-first authors]

12. Wang, D, Forstmeier, W, Farine, D, Maldonado-Chaparro, AA, Martin, K, Pei, Y, Alarcon-Nieto, A, Klarevas-Irby, JA, Ma, S, Aplin, LM., Kempenaers, B. (2022) Machine learning reveals cryptic dialects that guide mate choice in a songbird. Nature Communications, 13: 1-12.

13.  Wild, TA, Wikelski, M, Tyndel, S, Alarcon-Nieto, G, Klump, BC, Aplin, LM., Meboldt, M, Williams, HJ. (2022) Internet on Animals: WiFi-enabled devices provide a solution for big data transmission in bio-logging. Methods in Ecology and Evolution (early  online view)

14. Gruber, T*, Chimento, M*, Aplin, LM., Biro, D. (2022) Efficiency fosters cumulative culture across species. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 377: 20200308.  [*co-first authors]

[2021]

15. Klump, BC, Martin, JM, Wild, S, Horsch, JK, Major, RE, Aplin LM. (2021) Innovation and geographic spread of a complex foraging culture in an urban parrot. Science, 373: 456-460. 

16. Chimento, CM, Alarcon-Nieto, G, Aplin, LM. (2021) Population turnover facilities cultural selection for efficiency in birds. Current Biology, 31: 2477-2483. 

17. Brakes, P, Carroll, E, Dall, S, Keith, S, McGregor, P, Mesnick, S, Noad, M, Rendell, L, Robbins, M, Rutz, C, Thornton, A, Whiten, A, Whiting, M, Aplin, LM, Bearhop, S, Ciucci, P, Fishlock, V, Ford, J, Spina, F, Wade, P, Whitehead, H, Garland, E. (2021) A deepening understanding of animal culture brings novel perspective to conservation.  Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 288: 20202718.  

18. Cantor, M*, Chimento, M*, Smeele, SQ*, He, P, Papageorgiou, D, Aplin, LM**, Farine, DR**. (2021) Social network architecture and tempo of cumulative cultural evolution. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 288: 20203107. [*co-first authors, **joint senior authors]

19. Culina et al. Connecting the data landscape of long-term ecological studies: the SPI-Birds hub. Journal of Animal Ecology, 90: 417-2160. 

[2020]

20. Penndorf, J. & Aplin, LM. (2020) Environmental and life history factors, but not age, influence social learning about food: a meta-analysis. Animal Behaviour, 167: 161-176.

21.  Aplin, LM., Major, R. E., Davis, A., Martin, J. M. (2020) A citizen science approach reveals long-term social network structure in an urban parrot, Cacatua galerita. Journal of Animal Ecology, 90: 222-232. 

22.  Cantor, M.*, Aplin, LM.*, Farine, D. R.* (2020) A primer on the relationship between group size and group performance. Animal Behaviour, 166: 139-146. [*authors contributed equally]

[2019]

23. Farine, D. R. & Aplin, LM. (2019) Spurious inference when comparing networks. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,  116: 16674-16675.

24. Brakes, P., Dall, S. R. X., Aplin, L. M., et al. (2019) Animal cultures matter for conservation. Science, 363: 1032-1034.

25. Aplin, LM. (2019) Culture and cultural evolution in birds: a review of the evidence. Animal Behaviour, 147: 179-187. 

[2018]

26. Smaldino, P. E.*, Aplin, LM.*, Farine, D. R.* (2018) Do sigmoidal acquisition curves indicate conformity? Scientific Reports, 8: 14015. [*authors contributed equally]

27. Somveille, M., Firth, J. A., Aplin, LM., et. al. (2018) Movement and conformity interact to establish local behavioural traditions in animal populations. PLOS Computational Biology, 14: e1006647.

28. Firth J. A., Cole, E. F., Ioannou, C. C., Quinn, J. L., Aplin, LM., et. al. (2018) Personality shapes pair bonding in a wild bird social system. Nature Ecology and Evolution, 2: 1696-1699.

29.  Pruitt, J. N., Berdahl, A., Riehl, C., Pinter-Wollman, N., Moeller, H. V., Pringle, E. G., Aplin, LM., et al. (2018) Social tipping points in animal societies. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 285: 20181282.

30.  Aplin, LM. Bringing Avian Cognition to the Wild. Box in: Field and Laboratory Methods in Avian Cognition: A Comparative Guide, Eds. Bueno-Guerra, N. Amici, F. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

[2017]

31. Lefebvre, L. & Aplin, LM.  Social learning and Innovation. In: Avian Cognition, Eds. Healy, S., ten Cate, C. J. (Cambridge University Press). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

32.  Aplin, LM., Sheldon, B. C., McElreath R. (2017) Conformity does not perpetuate suboptimal traditions in a wild population of songbirds. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114: 7830-7837.

33. Jones, T. B., Aplin, LM., Devost, I., Morand-Ferron, J. (2017) Individual and ecological determinants of social information transmission in the wild. Animal Behaviour, 129: 93-101.

34. Johnson, K. V. A., Aplin, LM., et al. (2017) Male great tits assort by personality during the breeding season. Animal Behaviour, 128: 21- 32.

35. Shultz, T. R., Montrey, M., & Aplin, LM. (2017) Modelling the spread of innovation in wild birds. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 14: 20170215.

36. Firth, J. A., Voelkl, B., Crates, R. A., Aplin, LM. et al. (2017) Wild birds respond to flockmate loss by increasing their social network associations to others. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 284: 20170299.

37. Aplin, LM. & Morand-Ferron J. (2017) Stable producer-scrounger dynamics in wild birds: sociability and learning speed covary with scrounging behaviour. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 284: 20162872.

[2016]

38.  Aplin, LM. (2016) Understanding the multiple factors governing social learning and the diffusion of innovations. Current Opinions in Behavioral Science, 12: 59-65.

39.  Crates, R. A., Firth, J. A., Farine, D. R., Garroway, C. J., Kidd, L. R., Aplin, LM., et. al. (2016) Individual variation in winter supplementary food consumption and its consequences for reproduction in wild birds. Journal of Avian Biology, 47: 1-12.

[2015]

40.  Aplin, LM., Farine, D. R., Morand-Ferron, J., Cockburn, A., Thornton, A., Sheldon, B. C. (2015) Experimentally induced innovations lead to persistent traditions via conformity in wild birds. Nature, 258: 538-541.

41.  Aplin, LM., Farine, D. R., Morand-Ferron, J., Cockburn, A., Thornton, A., Sheldon, B. C. (2015) Counting conformity: evaluating the units of information in frequency-dependent social learning. Animal Behaviour, 110: e5-e8.

42.  Aplin, LM., Firth, J. A., Farine, D. R., Voelkl, B., et al. (2015) Consistent individual differences in the social phenotypes of wild great tits, Parus major. Animal Behaviour, 108: 117-127.

43. Morand-Ferron, J., Hamblin, S., Cole, E., Aplin, LM., Quinn, J. L. (2015) Taking the operant paradigm into the field: associative learning in wild songbirds. PLOS One, 10: e0133821.

44. Psorakis, I., Voelkl, B., Garroway, C. J., Radersma, R., Aplin, LM., et al. (2015) Inferring social structure from temporal data. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 69: 857-866.

45. Farine, D. R., Firth, J. A., Aplin, LM., et al. (2015) The role of social and ecological processes in structuring animal populations: a case study from automated tracking of wild birds. Royal Society Open Science, 2: 150057.

46. Farine, D. R., Aplin, LM., Sheldon, B. C., Hoppitt, W. (2015) Interspecific social networks promote information transmission in wild songbirds. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 282: 20142804.

[2014]

47. Aplin, LM.*, Farine, D. R.*, Mann, R. P., Sheldon, B. C. (2014) Individual-level personalities influence social foraging and collective behaviour in wild birds. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 281: 20141016. [*authors contributed equally].

48. Farine, D. R., Aplin, LM, Garroway, C. J., Mann, R. P., Sheldon, B. C.  (2014) Collective decision making and social interaction rules in mixed-species flocks of songbirds. Animal Behaviour, 95: 173-182.

[2013]

49.  Aplin, LM. Farine, D. R., Morand-Ferron, J., Cole, E., Cockburn, A., Sheldon, B. C. (2013) Individual personalities predict social behavior in wild networks of great tits, Parus major. Ecology Letters, 16: 1365-1372.

50. Aplin, L. M., Sheldon, B. C., Morand-Ferron, J. Milk-bottles revisited: social learning and individual variation in the blue tit, Cyanistes caeruleus. Animal Behaviour, 85: 1225-1232.

[2012]

51. Aplin, LM., Farine, DR., Morand-Ferron, J., Sheldon, B. C. (2012) Social networks predict patch discovery in a wild population of songbirds. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 279: 4199-4205.

52.  Aplin, LM. & Cockburn, A. (2012) Ecological selection and sexual dimorphism in the sooty oystercatcher, Haematopus fuliginosus. Austral Ecology, 37: 248-257.