Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
@ceciliapad.bsky.social
Research Fellow @eegcam.bsky.social & Emmanuel College, Cambridge University 🍃| Former Public Scholars Fellow at Sapiens | Book Review Editor @ishe-society.bsky.social 📚| Editor, Hunter Gatherer Research | 👩🏽💻 https://ceciliapad.github.io/web/
Pinned
Pan-African metapopulation model explains Homo sapiens genetic and morphological evolution
Emerging evidence has challenged the traditional view of a single-region origin for Homo sapiens, suggesting instead that our species arose and diversified across multiple geographically distinct popu...
www.biorxiv.org
🚨NEW PAPER from the @eegcam.bsky.social!🚨I have never been as proud of something as of the work that finally we can share today: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... - we show how a climatically driven Pan African meta population model explains our species genetic and morphological diversity 🧬💀
This episode is fantastic
Episode 46: Sapiens
It's an ambitious goal to write the entire history of humanity in just 400 pages. It's even more ambitious to do it without reading any research.
It's an ambitious goal to write the entire history of humanity in just 400 pages. It's even more ambitious to do it without reading any research.
Sapiens
Podcast Episode · If Books Could Kill · 11/20/2025 · 1h 38m
podcasts.apple.com
January 6, 2026 at 1:06 AM
This episode is fantastic
open.spotify.com/episode/1IeS... what a nice and fun discussion (and very relevant to our field 🧪💀) @ifbookspod.bsky.social
Sapiens
open.spotify.com
January 6, 2026 at 1:04 AM
open.spotify.com/episode/1IeS... what a nice and fun discussion (and very relevant to our field 🧪💀) @ifbookspod.bsky.social
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
Here's my latest contribution to the @nytimes "Lost Science" series. Brenna Henn's sweeping study of African genetics has been frozen. Gift link: nyti.ms/3Ypmm1A
January 5, 2026 at 5:32 PM
Here's my latest contribution to the @nytimes "Lost Science" series. Brenna Henn's sweeping study of African genetics has been frozen. Gift link: nyti.ms/3Ypmm1A
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
I've used Liverpool University Press's green open access policy to share this research but here's the journal link from Hunter Gatherer Research.
Please consider submitting special interest papers like this to HGR! We really do have great editors. 6/5
tinyurl.com/mt8a5p9z
Please consider submitting special interest papers like this to HGR! We really do have great editors. 6/5
tinyurl.com/mt8a5p9z
First recorded use of cage traps by the Tanzanian Hadza: A case of cross-cultural transmission: Hunter Gatherer Research: Vol 0, No 0
While hunting is a critical subsistence strategy for the Tanzanian Hadza, reports of trapping have traditionally been minimal. Snare trapping of small ungulates and terrestrial birds is noted in rare cases, but most meat is acquired through encounter ...
tinyurl.com
December 29, 2025 at 1:37 PM
I've used Liverpool University Press's green open access policy to share this research but here's the journal link from Hunter Gatherer Research.
Please consider submitting special interest papers like this to HGR! We really do have great editors. 6/5
tinyurl.com/mt8a5p9z
Please consider submitting special interest papers like this to HGR! We really do have great editors. 6/5
tinyurl.com/mt8a5p9z
Really sad to see @sapiens.org go, and really honored to be mentioned in the standout contributions of the year: www.sapiens.org/culture/best...
Sad times for anthropology public communication 😕
Sad times for anthropology public communication 😕
Best of SAPIENS 2025
In SAPIENS' final year of publishing new stories, the magazine honors the best contributions that brought anthropology to readers worldwide.
www.sapiens.org
December 20, 2025 at 7:49 AM
Really sad to see @sapiens.org go, and really honored to be mentioned in the standout contributions of the year: www.sapiens.org/culture/best...
Sad times for anthropology public communication 😕
Sad times for anthropology public communication 😕
Really really important study and fantastic thread describing its findings 🧪🧬
While stories of singular DNA changes that drove evolution of human brain/behaviour remain seductive, advances across multiple fields of biology cast doubt on such simplistic narratives of our origins. A new paper from my lab shows how biobanks may speak to this fundamental question.🧪
Explainer🧵👇1/n
Explainer🧵👇1/n
Evaluating the effects of archaic protein-altering variants in living human adults
Promise and pitfalls of using large biobanks to study impacts of archaic protein-coding variants in living humans.
www.science.org
December 19, 2025 at 9:22 AM
Really really important study and fantastic thread describing its findings 🧪🧬
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
Inspired in this iconic Guarda course, a group of four Latin American researchers organized the South American version: #EvoSur. The masterminds behind this amazing idea: Paco Majic (Uruguay) @hhydrochaerus.bsky.social, Santi Herrera (Colombia), Caua Westmann (Brasil) and Ana Maria Agapito (Perú).
The 2026 Guarda Summer Course in Evolutionary Biology is now accepting applications. Amazing place, amazing course, amazing opportunity for early grad students.
tb.ethz.ch/education/gu...
tb.ethz.ch/education/gu...
Summer school:<br> Evolutionary Biology in Guarda
Information about the annual summer school Evolutionary Biology in Guarda
tb.ethz.ch
December 11, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Inspired in this iconic Guarda course, a group of four Latin American researchers organized the South American version: #EvoSur. The masterminds behind this amazing idea: Paco Majic (Uruguay) @hhydrochaerus.bsky.social, Santi Herrera (Colombia), Caua Westmann (Brasil) and Ana Maria Agapito (Perú).
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
Experience in #archaeological #proteomics?
Interested in #Roman economy / organic artefacts?
Background in data analysis for #ZooMS?
Then apply for a 3-year RA post working to join PELLIS project with the wonderful @gtaylortu.bsky.social to investigate Roman leather economy
Apply by 12/01/2026
Interested in #Roman economy / organic artefacts?
Background in data analysis for #ZooMS?
Then apply for a 3-year RA post working to join PELLIS project with the wonderful @gtaylortu.bsky.social to investigate Roman leather economy
Apply by 12/01/2026
T: 01642 342201
E: HRrecruitment@tees.ac.uk
tuwpapps.tees.ac.uk
December 16, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Experience in #archaeological #proteomics?
Interested in #Roman economy / organic artefacts?
Background in data analysis for #ZooMS?
Then apply for a 3-year RA post working to join PELLIS project with the wonderful @gtaylortu.bsky.social to investigate Roman leather economy
Apply by 12/01/2026
Interested in #Roman economy / organic artefacts?
Background in data analysis for #ZooMS?
Then apply for a 3-year RA post working to join PELLIS project with the wonderful @gtaylortu.bsky.social to investigate Roman leather economy
Apply by 12/01/2026
In one of those days where purpose seems hard to find, nice to read: "why does the world still need behavioural ecologists?"
A reminder of how exciting it is to see the world from the eyes of a behavioural ecologist.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A reminder of how exciting it is to see the world from the eyes of a behavioural ecologist.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Behavioural ecology in the twenty-first century - Nature Ecology & Evolution
This Perspective discusses how the field of behavioural ecology has contributed to fundamental science and tackling global challenges, ranging from understanding how natural selection leads to adaptat...
www.nature.com
December 17, 2025 at 8:22 AM
In one of those days where purpose seems hard to find, nice to read: "why does the world still need behavioural ecologists?"
A reminder of how exciting it is to see the world from the eyes of a behavioural ecologist.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A reminder of how exciting it is to see the world from the eyes of a behavioural ecologist.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Interesting paper!
Combining high-resolution mapping of foliar- and herbivore- faecal sodium concentrations across Africa, the authors show that plant-derived sodium availability constrains megaherbivore densities at a continental scale 🧪🐘🦏🦒 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Sodium constraints on megaherbivore communities in Africa - Nature Ecology & Evolution
Combining high-resolution mapping of foliar and herbivore faecal sodium concentrations across Africa, the authors show that plant-derived sodium availability constrains megaherbivore densities at a co...
www.nature.com
December 16, 2025 at 6:42 AM
Interesting paper!
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
Deliberate fire-making by humans in the UK may date to more than 400,000 years ago, according to evidence in Nature. The findings predate previous evidence for the deliberate lighting of fires by around 350,000 years. go.nature.com/4oKHAS4 🏺 🧪
December 16, 2025 at 2:35 AM
Deliberate fire-making by humans in the UK may date to more than 400,000 years ago, according to evidence in Nature. The findings predate previous evidence for the deliberate lighting of fires by around 350,000 years. go.nature.com/4oKHAS4 🏺 🧪
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
Just published a paper on the lithics from Kabwe. We argue that they're indicative of MSA technology, although they can't be definitevely associated with the fossils. Might help better understand the origins of the MSA and its complex pattern across the continent.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Homo heidelbergensis and The Origins of The Middle Stone Age: The Kabwe (Broken Hill) Lithic Assemblage - African Archaeological Review
The Middle Stone Age (MSA) saw the emergence of novel behaviours in the archaeological record and is generally associated with our own species, Homo sapiens. Yet, most archaeological assemblages conta...
link.springer.com
December 15, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Just published a paper on the lithics from Kabwe. We argue that they're indicative of MSA technology, although they can't be definitevely associated with the fossils. Might help better understand the origins of the MSA and its complex pattern across the continent.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
Hey @andrameneganzin.bsky.social, this is such a great paper on why defining, capturing, and (most of all) analyzing the emergence of 'behavioural modernity' still is such an important topic link.springer.com/article/10.1.... Congrats.
The Fate of Behavioral Modernity - Biological Theory
Biological Theory - Over the past twenty years, empirical and theoretical advances have significantly reshaped the research agenda on “behavioral modernity” and its conceptualization....
link.springer.com
December 15, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Hey @andrameneganzin.bsky.social, this is such a great paper on why defining, capturing, and (most of all) analyzing the emergence of 'behavioural modernity' still is such an important topic link.springer.com/article/10.1.... Congrats.
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
The Department of Psychology @uzh-ch.bsky.social has an open position for a tenured Lecturer (Research) «Psychological Data Management and -Stewardship»
jobs.uzh.ch/job-vacancie...
#psychjobs
jobs.uzh.ch/job-vacancie...
#psychjobs
UZH: Lecturer Research «Psychological Data Management and -Stewardship»
The Department of Psychology at the University of Zurich invites applications for a tenured Lecturer Research position for «Psychological Data Management and -Stewardship». We are seeking an enthusias...
jobs.uzh.ch
December 15, 2025 at 11:39 AM
The Department of Psychology @uzh-ch.bsky.social has an open position for a tenured Lecturer (Research) «Psychological Data Management and -Stewardship»
jobs.uzh.ch/job-vacancie...
#psychjobs
jobs.uzh.ch/job-vacancie...
#psychjobs
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
GWAS has been an incredible discovery tool for human genetics: it regularly identifies *causal* links from 1000s of SNPs to any given trait. But mechanistic interpretation is usually difficult.
Our latest work on causal models for this is out yesterday:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A short🧵:
Our latest work on causal models for this is out yesterday:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A short🧵:
Causal modelling of gene effects from regulators to programs to traits - Nature
Approaches combining genetic association and Perturb-seq data that link genetic variants to functional programs to traits are described.
www.nature.com
December 11, 2025 at 5:54 PM
GWAS has been an incredible discovery tool for human genetics: it regularly identifies *causal* links from 1000s of SNPs to any given trait. But mechanistic interpretation is usually difficult.
Our latest work on causal models for this is out yesterday:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A short🧵:
Our latest work on causal models for this is out yesterday:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A short🧵:
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
A curated global dataset of social contact between diverse language communities
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
December 11, 2025 at 7:34 PM
A curated global dataset of social contact between diverse language communities
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 early evidence for fire making. Cool. www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Earliest evidence of making fire - Nature
Baked sediment, heat-shattered artefacts and introduced pyrite in a 400,000-year-old Palaeolithic occupation site in Suffolk, UK provide evidence of intentional fire-making, marking a pivotal moment i...
www.nature.com
December 11, 2025 at 9:00 AM
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 early evidence for fire making. Cool. www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
Did you miss Janet Kelso’s talk, “Archaic introgression reveals human dispersals?” 🧬💡No problem! It is now available to watch at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=izOa...
CARTA: Archaic Introgression Reveals Human Dispersals with Janet Kelso
YouTube video by University of California Television (UCTV)
www.youtube.com
December 9, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Did you miss Janet Kelso’s talk, “Archaic introgression reveals human dispersals?” 🧬💡No problem! It is now available to watch at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=izOa...
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
This is a really outstanding paper on the Behavioral Modernity concept and extraordinarily good academic writing.
I do not, in fact, agree with everything, but it did preempt my key concern: Conceptual baggage.
link.springer.com/content/pdf/...
I do not, in fact, agree with everything, but it did preempt my key concern: Conceptual baggage.
link.springer.com/content/pdf/...
link.springer.com
December 10, 2025 at 5:39 AM
This is a really outstanding paper on the Behavioral Modernity concept and extraordinarily good academic writing.
I do not, in fact, agree with everything, but it did preempt my key concern: Conceptual baggage.
link.springer.com/content/pdf/...
I do not, in fact, agree with everything, but it did preempt my key concern: Conceptual baggage.
link.springer.com/content/pdf/...
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
God bless Szamado.
He's completely correct and has been soldiering away at this for years - but the complexity of the topic is just slightly too high to outcompete Zahavi's (misleading) golf analogy.
academic.oup.com/jeb/advance-...
He's completely correct and has been soldiering away at this for years - but the complexity of the topic is just slightly too high to outcompete Zahavi's (misleading) golf analogy.
academic.oup.com/jeb/advance-...
A general signalling theory: why honest signals are explained by trade-offs rather than costs or handicaps
Abstract. Honest signals have long posed a challenge for evolutionary biologists to explain. Here we propose a general Darwinian theory of signalling, Sign
academic.oup.com
December 5, 2025 at 8:45 AM
God bless Szamado.
He's completely correct and has been soldiering away at this for years - but the complexity of the topic is just slightly too high to outcompete Zahavi's (misleading) golf analogy.
academic.oup.com/jeb/advance-...
He's completely correct and has been soldiering away at this for years - but the complexity of the topic is just slightly too high to outcompete Zahavi's (misleading) golf analogy.
academic.oup.com/jeb/advance-...
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
Happy to share the new virtual collection of comparative anatomy, SKELETONS ONLINE (cor.iphes.cat).
The specimens come from the comparative anatomy collection of @iphes-cerca.bsky.social , in Tarragona (Spain).
Please, use it and share!!!
The specimens come from the comparative anatomy collection of @iphes-cerca.bsky.social , in Tarragona (Spain).
Please, use it and share!!!
December 4, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Happy to share the new virtual collection of comparative anatomy, SKELETONS ONLINE (cor.iphes.cat).
The specimens come from the comparative anatomy collection of @iphes-cerca.bsky.social , in Tarragona (Spain).
Please, use it and share!!!
The specimens come from the comparative anatomy collection of @iphes-cerca.bsky.social , in Tarragona (Spain).
Please, use it and share!!!
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
🚨Two postdoc positions @tse-fr.eu @iast.fr 🚨
We are recruiting two postdocs as part of the ANR-funded project ENFORCE.
Join me, @giuliandr.bsky.social, & @zhgarfield.com, to study punitive systems across societies.
Full time, 2 years, no teaching.
Deadline: Jan 23
www.tse-fr.eu/groups/depar...
We are recruiting two postdocs as part of the ANR-funded project ENFORCE.
Join me, @giuliandr.bsky.social, & @zhgarfield.com, to study punitive systems across societies.
Full time, 2 years, no teaching.
Deadline: Jan 23
www.tse-fr.eu/groups/depar...
Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences
www.tse-fr.eu
December 1, 2025 at 12:37 PM
🚨Two postdoc positions @tse-fr.eu @iast.fr 🚨
We are recruiting two postdocs as part of the ANR-funded project ENFORCE.
Join me, @giuliandr.bsky.social, & @zhgarfield.com, to study punitive systems across societies.
Full time, 2 years, no teaching.
Deadline: Jan 23
www.tse-fr.eu/groups/depar...
We are recruiting two postdocs as part of the ANR-funded project ENFORCE.
Join me, @giuliandr.bsky.social, & @zhgarfield.com, to study punitive systems across societies.
Full time, 2 years, no teaching.
Deadline: Jan 23
www.tse-fr.eu/groups/depar...
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
🧬 EvolCompGen presents: Michael Barnett on the Experimental Evolution of Evolvability
💡 Join us on Friday, December 5 at 11:00 AM EST through iscb.junolive.co
Not an ISCB member? Create free Nucleus account here: iscb.swoogo.com/ISCBnucleus-...
💡 Join us on Friday, December 5 at 11:00 AM EST through iscb.junolive.co
Not an ISCB member? Create free Nucleus account here: iscb.swoogo.com/ISCBnucleus-...
December 1, 2025 at 8:40 AM
🧬 EvolCompGen presents: Michael Barnett on the Experimental Evolution of Evolvability
💡 Join us on Friday, December 5 at 11:00 AM EST through iscb.junolive.co
Not an ISCB member? Create free Nucleus account here: iscb.swoogo.com/ISCBnucleus-...
💡 Join us on Friday, December 5 at 11:00 AM EST through iscb.junolive.co
Not an ISCB member? Create free Nucleus account here: iscb.swoogo.com/ISCBnucleus-...
An ancient recombination desert is a speciation supergene in placental mammals 🧬
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
An ancient recombination desert is a speciation supergene in placental mammals - Nature
Deep learning methods identified a large and evolutionarily conserved X-linked low recombination region in placental mammals that serves as both a barrier to gene flow in hybridizing lineages and an a...
www.nature.com
November 30, 2025 at 7:06 PM
An ancient recombination desert is a speciation supergene in placental mammals 🧬
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
LAST CALL ☎️
Abstract submission for #ICP2026 closes on November 30th❗
Don't miss the opportunity to showcase your exciting ancient DNA research next summer 🦴🦣🐕👨🔬🧬
Abstract submission and more info here 👉 icp2026.palaeogenomics.org
We are looking forward to welcoming you to beautiful Stockholm!
Abstract submission for #ICP2026 closes on November 30th❗
Don't miss the opportunity to showcase your exciting ancient DNA research next summer 🦴🦣🐕👨🔬🧬
Abstract submission and more info here 👉 icp2026.palaeogenomics.org
We are looking forward to welcoming you to beautiful Stockholm!
November 28, 2025 at 9:52 AM
LAST CALL ☎️
Abstract submission for #ICP2026 closes on November 30th❗
Don't miss the opportunity to showcase your exciting ancient DNA research next summer 🦴🦣🐕👨🔬🧬
Abstract submission and more info here 👉 icp2026.palaeogenomics.org
We are looking forward to welcoming you to beautiful Stockholm!
Abstract submission for #ICP2026 closes on November 30th❗
Don't miss the opportunity to showcase your exciting ancient DNA research next summer 🦴🦣🐕👨🔬🧬
Abstract submission and more info here 👉 icp2026.palaeogenomics.org
We are looking forward to welcoming you to beautiful Stockholm!