Welcome! My name is Dr Elliot Howard-Spink, and I am a researcher at the Evolutionary Anthropology Department at the University of Zurich. 

My research draws on computationally-intensive methods to understand processes of animal behavioural evolution. Within my work, I aim to answer several interlocking questions:

• How do social learning and cultural inheritance influence animals' behavioural development, and how does this interact with natural selection?

• How are animals' cultural behaviours retained during adulthood, including during extreme old age?

• How do animals structure sequences of behaviour, such as during tool use or communication, and what can this tell us about the evolution of humans' capacities for technical culture and language?

My research centres on primate species, including chimpanzees, orangutans, and common marmosets. However, my interests span across animals, and where possible, my work aims to further our understanding of the behaviours of diverse species.