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I am a cognitive zoologist. That means that I compare cognitive mechanisms between species in order to understand cognitive evolution. Hopefully, this type of research leads to a deeper understanding of cognition as a biological phenomenon.
I mainly work with great apes and corvid birds. I want to understand the cognition of the species themselves, but I also want to gain further understanding of human cognitive evolution. One of my prime interests is to understand how complex cognition evolves, and how it can evolve independently (like in hominids, cetaceans and corvids).
I am the scientific director of Lund University Primate Research Station Furuvik, and I also direct Lund University Corvid Cognition Station.
I mainly teach in comparative cognition and in fields related to it. I am the main supervisor two PhD-students in projects related to physical cognition and planning in great apes and corvids.
Research
Research groups
Present projects
Completed projects
- On the origins of physical cognition in corvids
- Development of permanent infrastructure for research and education on great ape cognition at Lund University Primate Research Station Furuvik
- Eye-tracking with great apes
- INGREDIENTS OF COMPLEX PHYSICAL COGNITION – comparisons between crow birds and great apes (research leader)
- Phylogenetic reconstruction of the human skill to imagine
Publications
Books (1)
Articles (25)
- Müller, A. J., Massen, J. J., Bugnyar, T. & Osvath, M. (2017). Ravens remember the nature of a single reciprocal interaction sequence over 2 days and even after a month. Animal Behaviour, 128, 69-78. Elsevier.
- Jacobs, I. F., von Bayern, A. & Osvath, M. (2016). A novel tool-use mode in animals : New Caledonian crows insert tools to transport objects. Animal Cognition, 19, 1249-1252. Springer.
- Kabadayi, C., Taylor, L., von Bayern, A. & Osvath, M. (2016). Ravens, New Caledonian crows and jackdaws parallel great apes in motor self-regulation despite smaller brains. Royal Society Open Science. Royal Society.
- Osvath, M. (2016). Putting flexible animal prospection into context: escaping the theoretical box. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, 7, 5-18. John Wiley & Sons.
- Sauciuc, G.-A., Persson, T. & Osvath, M. (2016). Ape abilities. Pan European networks. Government, 143-145.
- Sauciuc, G.-A., Persson, T., Bååth, R., Bobrowicz, K. & Osvath, M. (2016). Affective forecasting in an orangutan : predicting the hedonic outcome of novel juice mixes. Animal Cognition, 19, 1081-1092. Springer.
- Jacobs, I. & Osvath, M. (2015). The string-pulling paradigm in comparative psychology. Journal of Comparative Psychology, 129, 89-120. American Psychological Association (APA).
- Jacobs, I., von Bayern, A., Martin-Ordas, G., Rat-Fischer, L. & Osvath, M. (2015). Corvids create novel causal interventions after all. Royal Society of London. Proceedings B. Biological Sciences, 282. Royal Society.
- Osvath, M. & Persson, T. (2015). What’s in a name? Commentary: A crisis in comparative psychology: Where have all the undergraduates gone. Frontiers in Psychology, 6. Frontiers.
- Jacobs, I., Osvath, M., Osvath, H., Mioduszewska, B., von Bayern, A. M. P. & Kacelnik, A. (2014). Object caching in corvids: Incidence and significance. Behavioural Processes, 102, 25-32. Elsevier.
- Osvath, M. & Martin-Ordas, G. (2014). The future of future-oriented cognition in non-humans : theory and the empirical case of the great apes. Royal Society of London. Philosophical Transactions B. Biological Sciences, 369. Royal Society.
- Osvath, M. & Sima, M. (2014). Sub-adult Ravens Synchronize their Play : A Case of Emotional Contagion?. Animal behavior and cognition, 1, 197-205. Sciknow Publications Ltd..
- Osvath, M., Kabadayi, C. & Jacobs, I. (2014). Independent evolution of similar complex cognitive skills : the importance of embodied degrees of freedom. Animal behavior and cognition, 1, 249-264. Sciknow Publications Ltd..
- Osvath, M., Osvath, H. & Bååth, R. (2014). An Exploration of Play Behaviors in Raven Nestlings. Animal behavior and cognition, 1, 157-165. Sciknow Publications Ltd..
- Osvath, M. & Persson, T. (2013). Great apes can defer exchange: a replication with different results suggesting future oriented behavior. Frontiers in Psychology, 4. Frontiers.
- Osvath, M. & Karvonen, E. (2012). Spontaneous innovation for future deception in a male chimpanzee. PLoS ONE, 7. Public Library of Science.
- Osvath, M., Persson, T. & Gärdenfors, P. (2012). Foresight, function representation, and social intelligence in great apes (Commentary on K. Vaesen “The cognitive basis of human tool use”). Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 35, 234-235. Cambridge University Press.
- Osvath, M., Persson, T. & Gärdenfors, P. (2012). Foresight, function representation, and social intelligence in the great apes. The Behavioral and brain sciences, 35, 234. Cambridge University Press.
- Osvath, M. (2010). Great ape foresight is looking great. Animal Cognition, 13, 777-781. Springer.
- Osvath, M., Raby, C. R. & Clayton, N. S. (2010). What should be compared in comparative mental time travel?. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 14, 51-52. Elsevier.
- Osvath, M. (2009). Spontaneous planning for future stone throwing by a male chimpanzee. Current Biology, 19, 190-191. Elsevier.
- Osvath, M. (2009). The role of sensations in the anticipating self. Constructivist foundations.
- Osvath, M. & Osvath, H. (2008). Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) and orangutan (Pongo abelii) forethought: self-control and pre-experience in the face of future tool use. Animal Cognition, 11, 661-674. Springer.
- Osvath, M. & Gärdenfors, P. (2007). What are the evolutionary causes of mental time travel?. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 30, 329-329. Cambridge University Press.
- Osvath, M. & Gärdenfors, P. (2005). Quand les hommes inventèrent l’avenir. Science Humaines, 58-63.
Book chapters (4)
- Osvath, M. (2013). Astrocognition: A cognitive zoology approach to potential universal principles of intelligence. In Dunér, D., Parthemore, J., Persson, E. & Holmberg, G. (Eds.) The History and Philosophy of Astrobiology: Perspectives on Extraterrestrial Life and the Human Mind (pp. 51-67). Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
- Gärdenfors, P., Brinck, I. & Osvath, M. (2012). The tripod effect: Evolutionary perspectives on cooperation, cognition and communication. In Stjernfeldt, F., Deacon, T. & Schilhab, T. (Eds.) New perspectives on the symbolic species (pp. 193-224). Springer.
- Gärdenfors, P. & Osvath, M. (2010). Prospection as a cognitive precursor to symbolic communication. In Larson, R. (Ed.) Evolution of Language: Biolinguistic Approaches (pp. 103-114). Cambridge University Press.
- Osvath, M. (2009). In the search of inner worlds: are humans alone in the mental world of possible futures?. In Högh-Olesen, H., Tönnesvang, J. & Bertelsen, P. (Eds.) Human characteristics - evolutionary perspectives on human mind and kind (pp. 44-64). Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Prefaces (1)
Encyclopaedia entries (5)
- Jacobs, I. & Osvath, M. (2017). Innate and Learned Tool Use. In Shackelford, T. K. & Weekes-Shackelford, V. A. (Eds.) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science (pp. 1-4). Springer International Publishing.
- Jacobs, I. & Osvath, M. (2017). Nonhuman Tool Use. In Shackelford, T. K. & Weekes-Shackelford, V. A. (Eds.) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer International Publishing.
- Jacobs, I. & Osvath, M. (2017). Proto-tool. In Shackelford, T. K. & Weekes-Shackelford, V. A. (Eds.) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science (pp. 1-4). Springer International Publishing.
- Jacobs, I. & Osvath, M. (2017). Social Tool. Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science, 1-4. Springer International Publishing.
- Jacobs, I. & Osvath, M. (2016). Meta-tool. In Shackelford, T. K. & Weekes-Shackelford, V. A. (Eds.) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science (pp. 1-4). Springer International Publishing.
Conference contributions (18)
- Bobrowicz, K., Osvath, H. & Osvath, M. (2016). Temporal perception in ravens : does mammalian three-second window apply to avian visual perception?.
- Osvath, M., Sauciuc, G.-A., Balkenius, C. & Persson, T. (2013). Gustatory imagination in an orangutan.
- Enns, C., Hoeschele, M., Osvath, M. & Przyslupski, A.-M. (2012). Bioacoustic analysis of North American and Swedish raven vocalizations.
- Osvath, M. & Karvonen, E. (2011). Spontaneous innovation for future deception - social planning in a male chimpanzee.
- Osvath, M. & Karvonen, E. (2011). Spontaneous innovation for future deception in a male chimpanzee.
- Osvath, M. (2010). Great ape planning abilities - a review and future avenues.
- Osvath, M. (2010). Planning for bartering in great apes.
- Osvath, M. (2010). Potential mechanisms for planning for future needs.
- Osvath, M. & Persson, T. (2010). Chimpanzees and Orangutans Plan for Future Exchange.
- Osvath, M. & Persson, T. (2010). Lund University Primate Research Station.
- Osvath, M. (2009). Animal planning studies : evidence for phenomenal consciousness?.
- Osvath, M. (2009). Imitation and innovation.
- Osvath, M. (2009). On uniquely human abilities in great apes.
- Osvath, M. (2009). The beautiful minds of apes and crows.
- Osvath, M. (2007). Planning for the future - uniquely human?.
- Osvath, M. (2007). True mental time travel in Pan troglodytes and Pongo abelii - the ape mind as an advanced future producer.
- Gärdenfors, P. & Osvath, M. (2006). On the co-evolution of anticipation, cooperation and communication.
- Gärdenfors, P. & Osvath, M. (2005). The evolution of anticipatory cognition as a precursor to language.
Reports (2)
- Osvath, M. (2006). Visual attention in three species of great apes.
- Osvath, M. (2005). Oldowan culture and the evolution of anticipatory cognition. Lund University Cognitive Studies, 122.
Supervision at Lund University (1)
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