Dr. Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias

Independent Junior Research Group Lead Geno-Phenotype Interaction

Universität Tübingen
Cluster of Excellence HUMAN ORIGINS

Humboldstraße 12
D-72074 Tübingen

R. S568
cecilia.padilla-iglesiasspam prevention@uni-tuebingen.de


Research

"As an Independent Junior Group Leader at the Human Origins Cluster of Excellence, I study how ecological and social environments shape the ways humans and other hominins live and have lived throughout our evolutionary history. In turn, how this diversity has influenced genetic, phenotypic, and cultural evolution, helping to shape the breadth of the human ecological niche and our adaptive success. My research combines population genetics, evolutionary and computational modelling, archaeology, and fieldwork with several hunter-gatherer populations, mainly in Africa.“


CV

04/2026-present
Independent Junior Research Group Leader

Human Origins Cluster of Excellence, University of Tübingen

10/2024 – 03/2026
Alan Wilson Research Fellow

Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge

03/2020 – 05/2024
PhD

Human Evolutionary Ecology Group, Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zürich/ETH Zürich

Thesis: ‘The role of mobility in human evolution: An investigation among Central African hunter-gatherers’.

09/2018 – 08/2019
Research MPhil in Biological Anthropological Sciences

Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge

Thesis: ‘An evolutionary ecological approach to linguistic behaviour in Yucatan and its implications for linguistic diversity’.

09/2015 – 06/2018
BSc Human Sciences (First Class Honours)

University College London

Thesis: ‘The long reach of shibboleths: How between group dynamics shape the evolution of languages’.


Scientific work

Publications in Academic Journals

2026

Padilla-Iglesias, C. From diversity to flexibility: Seasonality as the forgotten dividend of Man The Hunter. Evolution and Human Behavior. doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2026.106897

Clark, J., Timbrell, L., Padilla-Iglesias, C., Van Holstein, L., Paige, J., Muller, A., Koops, K., Scerri, E., Will, M. The Tool Systems Approach:
Measuring Complexity in the Primatological, Archaeological, and Ethnographic Records. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory. doi.org/10.1007/s10816-026-09779-z 

Colucci, M., Blinkhorn, J., Leonardi, M., Irish, S., Padilla-Iglesias, C., Kaboth-Bar, S., Gosling, W.D., Snow, R., Manica, A. & Scerri, E, M.
Malaria shaped human spatial organisation for the last 74 thousand years. Science Advances. doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aea2316
 

2024 

Padilla-Iglesias, C., Freeman, E. C. (2024) Racing the clock. Science, 386(6725), 1062. doi.org/10.1126/science.adu7742

Campbell, O., Padilla-Iglesias, C. & Mace, R. (2024). Genetic markers of cousin marriage and honour killings. Evolution and
Human Behavior, 45(6), 106636. doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2024.106636

Gunasekaram, C., Battison, F., Sadekar, O., Padilla-Iglesias, C., van Noordwiijk, M. A., Manica, A., Bertranpetit, J., Whiten, A., van
Schaik, C., Vinicius, L., & Migliano, A. B. (2024). Population interconnectivity shapes the distribution and complexity of chimpanzee
cumulative culture. Science, 386(6724), 920-925. doi: 10.1126/science.adk3381

Padilla-Iglesias, C. & Bischoff, R. (2024). Hunter-gatherer mobility patterns influence the reconstruction of social networks from
archaeological assemblages. Journal of Archaeological Sciences: Reports, 59, 104798. doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104798

Padilla-Iglesias, C. & Derkx, I. (2024). Hunter-gatherer genetics research: Importance and avenues. Evolutionary Human Sciences, 1-48. doi:10.1017/ehs.2024.7

Padilla-Iglesias, C. & Migliano, A. B. (2024). Musical instruments, tools, language and genetic data reveal ancient hunter-gatherer
networks. Nature Human Behaviour, 8, 1245-1246. doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-01893-w

Padilla-Iglesias, C., Blanco-Portillo, J., Pricop, B., Ioannidis, A., Bickel, B., Manica, A., Vinicius, L., & Migliano, A.B. (2024). Deep history
of cultural and linguistic evolution among Central African hunter-gatherers. Nature Human Behaviour, 8, 1263–1275. doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-01891-y
 

2023

Padilla-Iglesias, C., Grove, M. & Blinkhorn, J. (2023). Ecological drivers of hunter-gatherer lithic technology from the Middle
and Later Stone Age in Central Africa. Quaternary Science Reviews, 322, 108390. doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108390

Zonker, J., Padilla-Iglesias, C. & Conrad, N. (2023). Insights into drivers of mobility and cultural dynamics of African hunter-
gatherers over the past 120,000 years. Royal Society Open Science, 10(11), 230495. doi.org/10.1098/rsos.230495

Bischoff, R., Padilla-Iglesias, C. (2023). A description and sensitivity analysis of the ArchMatNet agent-based model. PeerJ. 9:e1419.
Padilla-Iglesias, C., Basargekar, A., Woodward, A. & Shneidman, L. (2023). Exploring Intra- and Inter-Cultural Differences in Toddler’s
Time Allocation in a Yucatec Maya and US Community. Social Development, 00, 1-23. doi.org/10.7717/peerj-cs.1419
 

2022

Padilla-Iglesias, C., Atmore, L. M., Olivero, J., Lupo, K., Manica, A., Arango Isaza, E., ... & Migliano, A. B. (2022). Population
interconnectivity over the past 120,000 years explains distribution and diversity of Central African hunter-gatherers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(21), e2113936119. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2113936119 


2021

Garg, K., Padilla-Iglesias, C., Ochoa, N. R., & Knight, V. B. (2021). Hunter-gatherer foraging networks promote information transmission.
Royal Society Open Science,.8,211324211324. doi.org/10.1098/rsos.211324

Padilla-Iglesias, C., & Kramer, K. L. (2021). The Role of Language in Structuring Social Networks Following Market Integration in a
Yucatec Maya Population. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 656963-656963. doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.656963

Padilla-Iglesias, C., Woodward, A. L., Goldin-Meadow, S., & Shneidman, L. A. (2021). Changing language input following market
integration in a Yucatec Mayan community. Plos One, 16(6), e0252926. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0252926


2020

Padilla-Iglesias, C., Gjesfjeld, E., & Vinicius, L. (2020). Geographical and social isolation drive the evolution of Austronesian languages.
Plos One, 15(12), e0243171. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0243171

Padilla-Iglesias, C., Foley, R. A., & Shneidman, L. A. (2020). Language as a marker of ethnic identity among the Yucatec Maya.
Evolutionary Human Sciences, 2. doi.org/10.1017/ehs.2020.39

Editing and Peer-Review

General Editor Hunter Gatherer Research

Book Review Editor Human Ethology

Copy Editor Hunter-Gatherer Research

Special Issue Editor Hunter-Gatherer Research

Peer Review PLOS One, PCI Registered Reports, Evolutionary Human Sciences, Royal Society Open Science, Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Communications Biology

Teaching

Undergraduate Teaching

Lent 2026, Evolution and comparative anatomy of Mammals (2h; University of Cambridge)

Lent 2026, Evolution of Behaviour (6h of lectures, examination; University of Cambridge)

Lent 2026, Evolution and Behaviour (5 groups, weekly sessions; University of Cambridge)

Lent 2025, Evolution and Behaviour (5 groups, weekly sessions; University of Cambridge)

Spring 2022, Introduction to Organic Chemistry (150h; University of Zürich)

Fall 2021, Animal Behaviour (30h; University of Zürich)

Spring 2021, Introduction to Biological Anthropology (15h; University of Zürich)

Fall 2020, Primate Cognitive Evolution (20h; University of Zürich)

Spring 2020, Introduction to Biological Anthropology (20h; University of Zürich)

Graduate Teaching

Spring 2022, Human Behavioural Ecology and Cultural Evolution (20h)

Spring 2021, Human Behavioural Ecology and Cultural Evolution (20h)

Spring 2021, Modelling Cultural Evolution (70h)

Fall 2020, Human Behavioural Ecology and Cultural Evolution (70h)
 

Scientific Outreach

Work Experience

2024 – 2025, Sapiens (Wenner Gren Foundation)
Public Scholars Training Fellow. Production of podcast episodes and magazine articles, training in science communication.

2021 - 2022, Many Minds Podcast
Assistant producer. Helped with research, interview preparation of guests, editing of episodes, creation of show notes and social
media outreach.
 

Published Pieces and Media presence

2025, How Societies Morph With the Seasons
Essay published in Sapiens magazine. 

2025, Hunting, gathering and the fluidity of gender roles
Podcast episode written, recorded and produced for Sapiens. 

2025, Early Humans Thrived in Rainforests
Comment for news article in the New York Times. 

2024, Did we evolve to live in small groups?
Interview for the On Humans podcast.

2024, Societies in Perpetual Movement
Essay published in AEON magazine. 

2024, Celebrity Status Almost Ruined Ancient DNA Research
Essay published in Sapiens magazine. 

2023, Redefining Nature
Interview for Zurich’s Radio LoRa alongside Dr. Robin Morrison. 

2023, The Early Human Social Network
Interview for American Scientist. 

2023, Did Humanity Really Arise in One Place?
Essay published in Sapiens magazine.