Religion
Religious systems show variation between groups, are transmitted and modified over generations, and differ in their ability to gain and retain members. In other words, religions exhibit the key characteristics of an evolutionary system.
We build large-scale cross-cultural databases and use models from evolutionary biology to test theories about the functions and effects of religious systems. Examples of our research includes studies on the emergence of religious specialists in hunter-gatherer societies, the co-evolution of human sacrifice and social inequality, and the mechanisms by which Christianity has spread throughout the Pacific
