News & Events

21.11.2025
 

What enables human language? A biocultural framework

 

Inbal Arnon, Liran Carmel, Nicolas Claidière, W. Tecumseh Fitch, Susan Goldin-Meadow, Simon...

22.09.2025
 

Brain activation for language and its relationship to cognitive and linguistic measures

Irene Balboni, Alessandra Rampinini, Olga Kepinska, Raphael...

26.08.2025
 

"Startling ravens Corvus corax at foraging: differences in anti-predator behaviour can be explained by age rather than personality"

by: Janina Anna...

21.07.2025
 

A nice press release on gestures in elephants. Well done!

 

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/09/science/elephants-gesturing-trunk.html

 

09.07.2025
 

Congratulations to Prof. Leonida Fusani for receiving a further FWF grant for the project "Mating and bonding decisions in a challenging environment"

05.05.2025
 

Publications


Frischauf C, Kavcik-Graumann N, Nielson E, Rabeder G. The cave bear fauna of Steigelfadbalm on Rigi (Kanton Luzern, Switzerland).. 2016. Paper presented at 22nd International Cave Bear Symposium in Kletno, Kletno, Poland.

Fitch WT. The Myth of Mirror Neurons. The Quarterly Review of Biology. 2016;91(3):368-369.

Fitch WT. Vertebrate Bioacoustics: Prospects and Open Problems. In Vertebrate Sound Production and Acoustic Communication. Vol. 53. Springer. 2016. p. 297-328. (Springer Handbook of Auditory Research, Vol. 53).

Fitch WT, Suthers RA. Vertebrate vocal production: An introductory overview. In Vertebrate Sound Production and Acoustic Communication . Springer. 2016. p. 1-18

Wedl M, Kotrschal K, Julius H, Beetz A. Children with Avoidant or Disorganized Attachment Relate Differently to a Dog and to Humans During a Socially Stressful Situation. Anthrozoös: a multidisciplinary journal of the interactions of people and animals. 2015 Dec 9;28(4):601-610. doi: 10.1080/08927936.2015.1070002

Schöberl GI, Kortekaas K, Schöberl F, Kotrschal K. Algorithm-supported visual error correction (AVEC) of heart rate measurements in dogs, Canis lupus familiaris. Behavior Research Methods. 2015 Dec;47(4):1356-1364. Epub 2014 Dec 25. doi: 10.3758/s13428-014-0546-z

Monti F, Duriez O, Arnal V, Dominici JM, Sforzi A, Fusani L et al. Being cosmopolitan: evolutionary history and phylogeography of a specialized raptor, the Osprey Pandion haliaetus. BMC Evolutionary Biology. 2015 Nov 17;15(1):255. doi: 10.1186/s12862-015-0535-6

Kalcher-Sommersguter E, Preuschoft S, Franz-Schaider C, Hemelrijk C, Crailsheim K, Massen JJM. Early maternal loss affects social integration of chimpanzees throughout their lifetime. Scientific Reports. 2015 Nov 10;5:16439. doi: 10.1038/srep16439

Gingras B, Marin M, Puig-Waldmüller ES, Fitch WT. The Eye is Listening: Music-Induced Arousal and Individual Differences Predict Pupillary Responses. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2015 Nov 10;9:619. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00619

Sonnweber RS, Massen JJM, Fitch WT. Post-copulatory grooming: a conditional mating strategy? Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 2015 Nov;69(11):1749-1759. doi: 10.1007/s00265-015-1987-9

Horn L. The dog-owner bond: how does it affect the dog’s behavior?. 2015. Paper presented at 37th International Workshop of the Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture, Erice, Italy.

Urquiza EG, Kotrschal K. The mind behind anthropomorphic thinking: attribution of mental states to other species. Animal Behaviour. 2015 Nov;109:167-176. doi: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.08.011

Massen JJM, Ritter C, Bugnyar T. Tolerance and reward equity predict cooperation in ravens (Corvus corax). Scientific Reports. 2015 Oct 7;5:15021. doi: 10.1038/srep15021

Bowling D, Fitch WT. Do Animal Communication Systems Have Phonemes? Trends in Cognitive Science. 2015 Oct 1;19(10):555–557. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2015.08.011

Stocker M, O'sullivan E, Sonnweber RS, Caldwell C. Capuchins’ behavioural and endocrine response to conspecifics’ actions. In Folia Primatologica. 2015

Ravignani A, Westphal Fitch G, Aust U, Schlumpp M, Fitch WT. More than one way to see it: Individual heuristics in avian visual computation. Cognition. 2015 Oct;143:13–24. doi: 10.1016/j.cognition.2015.05.021

Sonnweber RS, Ravignani A, Stobbe N, Schiestl G, Wallner B, Fitch WT. The role of social styles in grooming patterns and stress alleviation. In Folia Primatologica. 2015. p. 363-364

Baotic A, Stöger-Horwath A. Giraffes may hum to each other at night American Animal Hospital Association. 2015.

Baotic A, Sicks F, Stöger-Horwath A. Nocturnal “humming” vocalizations: adding a piece to the puzzle of giraffe vocal communication. BMC research notes. 2015 Sept 9;8(1):425. doi: 10.1186/s13104-015-1394-3

Baotic A, Schiefer P, Stöger-Horwath A. Ein Genuss für das Bioakustiker-Ohr Medienportal Universität Wien. 2015.

Beetz A, Julius H, Uvnäs-Moberg K, Kotrschal K. Der Einsatz von Tieren im Kontext bindungsorientierter Interventionen. Sonderpädagogische Förderung heute. 2015 Sept;60(3):296-307.

Baotic A, Schiefer P, Stöger-Horwath A. Dicke Freunde Medienportal Universität Wien. 2015.

Baotic A, Schiefer P, Stöger-Horwath A. Geduldig wie ein Elefant Medienportal Universität Wien. 2015.

Ringler M, Hödl W, Khil ML, Kofler B, Lonauer M, Provin C et al.. Acoustic ranging in Poison Frogs – Allobates femoralis uses signal cues beyond intensity to assess caller distance. 2015. Paper presented at Behaviour 2015, Cairns, Australia.