We were delighted to host Professors Martin Daly (McMaster University) and Gretchen Perry (Lakehead University) for a day of excellent talks (11.07.2018) in Turku at Panimoravintola Koulu, from speakers in a range of disciplines. The focus was particularly on alloparenting in humans, but also included talks on elephant alloparenting, evolutionary psychology, and the life-histories of Karelian evacuees and servicewomen. We heard about a lot of interesting work, and got one or two ideas for investigating contexts of grandmothering in our historic Finnish data from work that has been done on contemporary grandmothering - this underlines the importance of interdisciplinary meetings!

In attendance (in order of talks): 
Virpi Lummaa (UTU, biology)
Martin Daly (McMaster University)
Gretchen Perry (Lakehead University)
Mirkka Danielsbacka (UTU, social sciences)
Antti Tanskanen (UTU, social sciences)
Simon Chapman (UTU, biology)
Hannu Lehti (UTU, social sciences)
Mirkka Lahdenperä (UTU, biology)
Emily Lynch (UTU, biology)
John Loehr (University of Helsinki)
Markus Rantala (UTU, biology & Turku Brain and Mind Centre)
Jenni Pettay (UTU, biology)
Robert Lynch (UTU, biology)

Other News

The research group spent three intense days having a brilliant Project Meeting in Tampere, Finland in August 2016. The venue was the most beautiful place by the lake, surrounded by the pristine Finnish nature. A perfect venue for the best conference ever! Special thanks to our hosts Jenni and Esko.
Photos from the Project Meeting in Kesämaa, Finland, August 2016. Photos by Esko Pettay / Wild TechPhotos Oy.

Virpi Lummaa's Group: Project meeting in Finland, August 2016. Photo by Esko Pettay

Virpi Lummaa is an outstanding evolutionary biologist and her work has led to significant advances in our understanding of the ecological causes and evolutionary consequences of variation in reproductive success and longevity. Her research on humans, based on detailed pedigrees, and birth and death records, revealed the selection pressures shaping life history in pre-industrial populations, and in so doing allowed for the first rigorous, scientific examination of human behavioural ecology. These findings have revealed the complex trade-offs shaping recent human evolution.
The Scientific Medal, Britain's zoological Oscar, is awarded to scientists with up to 15 years postdoctoral experience for distinguished work in zoology.

Virpi Lummaa Scientific Medal 2016 Zoological Society of London