Abstract:
Humans exhibit a suite of developmental changes in cognition, and some views link our species’ unique cognitive traits to our extended life history characteristics. I will discuss how studies of development and aging in other primates can provide new insights into the origins of human cognition. In the first set of studies, I will examine lifespan changes in macaque monkey social cognition in order to understand human social evolution. In the second set of studies, I will focus on changes in decision-making as chimpanzees make the transition from adolescence to adulthood. I will finally discuss ongoing projects linking changes in primate cognition and behavior to biological measures including health, senescence, and survivorship, in order to understand the biological significance of these patterns.


Bio
Alexandra Rosati is an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Anthropology at UM. Her research focuses on the evolutionary origins of the human mind. She studies a variety of primate species including apes, monkeys, lemurs in naturalistic contexts, focusing on how cognitive abilities are used to solve evolutionarily-relevant social and foraging problems. She has an AB in psychology from Harvard, a PhD in Evolutionary Anthropology from Duke, and completed postdoctoral training at Yal