Larissa Mendoza Straffon

Larissa Mendoza Straffon is a Researcher at the Department of Psychosocial Science, University of Bergen, affiliated with the ERC Synergy Project QUANTA and the SapienCE Centre. Her work focuses on the evolutionary origins of human cognition, visual art practices, and symbolic behavior. She holds a PhD from Leiden University, a Master’s in Human Origins, and a licentiate in archaeology from Mexico’s National School of Anthropology and History. Her research integrates archaeology, developmental psychology, and cognitive science to explore how material culture shapes cognition.

Key affiliations include the Bergen Laboratory for Decision, Intuition, Consciousness, and Emotion, and prior work at Leiden University funded by the John Templeton Foundation. Her interdisciplinary approach addresses topics like mathematical knowledge in fiber technologies, cultural roles in early human cognition, and Paleolithic art analysis. She has contributed to debates on symbolic capacity’s role in human evolution and collaborated on projects like 'Evolution of Cognitive Tools for Quantification.'

Publications span evolutionary archaeology, cognitive diversity, and art origins, often emphasizing cross-disciplinary collaboration. Awards and grants include ERC Synergy funding and involvement in the QUANTA project. Her work bridges paleoanthropology with modern cognitive science, examining how cultural practices inform our understanding of prehistoric minds.