The group led by Petr Tureček focuses on the evolution of culture in the context of human evolution, and human evolution in the context of cultural evolution, since one is hardly imaginable without the other. Currently, the members of the group are primarily engaged in parametrizing cultural transmission, describing the integration of information from multiple cultural sources, and attempting to unify particulate (e.g., memetics) and non-particulate (cultural expression as a position or distribution in n-dimensional space) approaches to cultural variants.
The group also occasionally works on other theoretical-biological or evolutionary projects where mathematical formalization of living systems, computer simulations, or Bayesian statistics come into play.
SPEK practices a post-disciplinary, problem-oriented approach, aiming to tailor methods to fit research questions without regard for discourse and field boundaries.
Group members and their research:
Mgr. Petr Tureček, Ph.D. – evolutionary theory, cultural transmission and its parametrization, metatournament and its evolution, evolution of the hominid adaptive complex, mimicry, evolution of similarity and perception
Mgr. Pavlína Hillerová – cultural transmission and its parametrization, indirect effect of cultural artifacts on fitness, cultural evolution within subcultures
Ing. Jiří Nedomlel – evolutionary theory, thermodynamics, theory of information, stability and plasticity of ecosystems, diversity and antifragility
Mgr. Peter Kutsos – evolution of artifacts, cultural transmission, metascience of innovation and emulation, coevolution of humans and domesticated microbes, conformity
Mgr. Pavol Kukla – human sex ratio in the context of cultural and biological evolution, Trivers-Willard hypothesis, evolution of alcohol consumption
Mgr. et Mgr. Petr Chlup - cultural evolution of material culture, application of AI and machine learning in ecological and cultural research (e.g., object detection), automation of scientific data pipelines, pollination ecology, legal protection of invertebrates and biodiversity
Bc. Matěj Jirout – mathematical modeling of cultural inheritance with distribution functions, the influence of gene interactions on the inheritance of quantitative traits, philosophy of biology and science
Bc. Petr Varga – Evolutionary theory, evolution and stability of traits with bimodal distribution, evolution of creativity and possibilities for its enhancement, playing the drums
Bc. Barbora Pavlíková, DiS. – apophenia across different modalities, perception of modern atonal music, playing the recorder
Bc. Vojtěch Bartoš – Human neoteny and its role in cultural evolution
Selected ongoing projects:
GAČR – P407/24-11911S Beyond imitation and inaccuracy: detailed parametrization of cultural transmission
GAUK – 188824 An experimental investigation of human innovation across cultures
Collaborations domestic
Resident groups: Biology of Exposed Surfaces and Laboratory of Evolutionary Biology
Center for Theoretical Studies
Institute of Information Theory and Automation of the CAS (Jakub Slavík)
Department of Demography and Geodemography (Alice Velková)
Collaborations international
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (Bret Beheim, Oleg Sobchuk)
Oxford University (Michal Misiak, Oliver Curry)
University of Wroclaw (Michal Misiak)
Kadil Has University (Adil Saribay)
University of Buea (Robert Mbe Akoko)
Selected publications:
Velková, A., Tureček, P., & Hillerová, P. (2025). Stress and survival: analysing child mortality among elite families in Bohemia 1816–1920. The History of the Family, 1-27.
Tureček, P., Černý, V., Diallo, M. Y., Cissé, N., Pokorný, Š., & Kleisner, K. (2025). Violence exposure is associated with preference for masculine faces: evidence from Senegal. Proceedings B, 292(2042), 20243105.
Tureček, P., Fořt, J., & Flegr, J. (2025). Crusaders, monks and family fortunes: evolutionary models of male homosexuality and related phenomena. Proceedings B, 292(2042), 20242756.
Novakova, J., Tureček, P., Machová, K., Sýkorová, K., Zíka, V., & Flegr, J. (2024). Generosity as a status signal: Higher-testosterone men exhibit greater altruism in the dictator game. Evolution and Human Behavior, 45(5), 106615.
Misiak, M., Curry, O. S., & Tureček, P. (2023). Moral messaging: Testing a framing technique during a pandemic. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 45(1), 38-48.
Tureček, P., Kozák, M., & Slavík, J. (2023). How subcultures emerge. Evolutionary Human Sciences, 5, e24.
Tureček, P., & Kleisner, K. (2022). Symptomic Mimicry Between SARS-CoV-2 and the Common Cold Complex. Biosemiotics, 15(1), 61-66.
Brejcha, J., Tureček, P., & Kleisner, K. (2021). Perception-driven dynamics of mimicry based on attractor field model. Interface Focus, 11(3), 20200052.
Tureček, P., Slavík, J., Kozák, M., & Havlíček, J. (2019). Non-particulate inheritance revisited: evolution in systems with Parental Variability-Dependent Inheritance. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 127(2), 518-533.
More at: researchgate.net/profile/Petr-Turecek/research
Topics:
Evolution of Humor and Sense of Humor (Bachelor's Thesis)
Designspace and Culturespace; Two Concepts under the Evolution of Culture (Bachelor's Thesis)
The Splendors and Miseries of Astrology (Bachelor's Thesis)
Pioneers and Epigones: A Study of the Mutual Similarity of Poetic Styles and Their Evolution (Master's Thesis)
We are happy if you bring an interesting topic of your own from the field of cultural evolution or human evolution. We are also open to new developments in the field of mathematical and statistical modelling.