Thomas Morgan

Thomas Morgan is an Associate Professor and Research Scientist at the Institute of Human Origins. His research focuses on cultural evolution, social learning strategies, and the intersection of human behavior with evolutionary principles. He investigates mechanisms like prestige-biased transmission, conformist behavior, and epistemic vigilance, contributing to understanding how cultural traits propagate and adapt. Recent work emphasizes scientific ethics, particularly the impact of publication systems and academic incentives on research integrity. He employs experimental methods, computational modeling, and archaeological analysis to explore topics ranging from cooperative behavior to ancient demographic inference through fingerprint studies.

• Key Research Themes: Cultural transmission dynamics, evolutionary psychology, science reform
• Institutional Affiliation: Institute of Human Origins

His work bridges anthropology, psychology, and cognitive science, with notable contributions to debates on cumulative culture and the cognitive foundations of human sociality. Experimental studies with human participants and animal models (e.g., zebra finches) reveal parallels and differences in learning mechanisms across species. Current projects address how environmental and social factors shape cognitive evolution and cultural innovation.