Staff profile
Overview
https://apps.dur.ac.uk/biography/image/1318
Affiliation |
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Professor in the Department of Anthropology |
Associate Fellow in the Institute of Advanced Study |
Biography
Interests
Evolutionary biologist/anthropologist interested in brains, behaviour and cognition, using phylogenetoic comparative methods to study how these traits evolved. Developed and tested the 'Visual brain hypothesis' for primate brain size evolution. Currently interested in the underestimated role of the cerebellum in brain evolution and cognition. Also works on the evolutionary and cultural significance of the colour red.
Recent projects include: 'The Phylogeny of Sleep' (funded by NIH, $1m); 'Evolutionary architecture of reproduction in female mammals' (funded by BBSRC/NERC, £248k); 'Cognitive Evolution and the brain' (Funded by a Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship, £38k).
- 2018: Osman Hill Memorial medal awarded by Primate Society of Great Britain:
- Leverhulme Research Fellow (2012-13) - Cognitive evolution and the brain
- Visting Research Fellow, All Souls Collge Oxford (2011) - Evolution of human cognition
- President, European Human Behaviour and Evolution Association (2010-2013)
- Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology (2005-)
- President, Primate Society of Great Britain (2001-2005)
- PhD in Primate Behavioural Ecology (1990)
Research interests
- Behavioural ecology and sociobiology
- Evolution of mamalian reproductive traits
- Primate evolution and behaviour
- Brain evolution
- Cognitive evolution
Esteem Indicators
- 2024: Christopherson Knott Research Fellow, Institute of Advanced Study, Durham University: Fellow and Principal Investigator on interdisciplinary project on 'Syntactical Structures and the Evolution of Mind and Culture'
- 2020: Senior Editor, Proceedings of the Royal Society B:
- 2018: Osman Hill Memorial medal awarded by Primate Society of Great Britain:
- 2014: Associate Editor, Proceedings of the Royal Society B:
- 2012: Leverhulme Research Fellow: Project on 'Cognitive evolution and the brain'
- 2011: Visiting Fellow, All Souls College, University of Oxford: Participant in multi-national project on 'Evolution of human cognition'
- 2010: President, European Human Behaviour and Evolution Association:
- 2009: Darwin's Birthday Party (Natural History Museum): invited speaker:
Publications
Chapter in book
- Primate sleep in phylogenetic perspective.Nunn, C., McNamara, P., Capellini, I., Preston, B., & Barton, R. (2009). Primate sleep in phylogenetic perspective. In P. McNamara, R. Barton, & C. Nunn (Eds.), Evolution of sleep.. Cambridge University Press.
- Ecological constraints on mammalian sleep architecture.Capellini, I., McNamara, P., Preston, B., Barton, R., & Nunn, C. (2009). Ecological constraints on mammalian sleep architecture. In P. McNamara, R. Barton, & C. Nunn (Eds.), Evolution of sleep. (pp. 12-34). Cambridge University Press.
- Introduction.McNamara, P., Barton, R., & Nunn, C. (2009). Introduction. In P. McNamara, R. Barton, & C. Nunn (Eds.), Evolution of sleep.. Cambridge University Press.
- Hormonal and pheromonal modulation of the extended amygdala: implications for social behaviour.Swann, J., Fabre-Nys, C., & Barton, R. (2009). Hormonal and pheromonal modulation of the extended amygdala: implications for social behaviour. In D. Pfaff, A. Arnold, A. Etgen, S. Fahrbach, & R. Rubin (Eds.), Hormones, Brain and Behavior.. Academic Press.
- Brain Modules: Mosaic Evolution.Barton, R. (2008). Brain Modules: Mosaic Evolution. In L. Squire (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Neuroscience (pp. 389-394). Academic Press.
- Phylogeny of sleep and dreams.McNamara, P., Nunn, C., Barton, R., Harris, E., & Capellini, I. (2007). Phylogeny of sleep and dreams. In D. Barrett & P. McNamara (Eds.), The New Science of Dreaming. (pp. 53-70). Praeger.
- Evolution of the social brain as a distributed neural system.Barton, R. (2007). Evolution of the social brain as a distributed neural system. In R. Dunbar & L. Barrett (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology. (pp. 129-144). Oxford University Press.
- Mosaic evolution of brain structure in mammals.Barton, R. (2006). Mosaic evolution of brain structure in mammals. In Evolution of nervous systems. Elsevier.
- Primate brains and life histories.Deaner, R., Barton, R., & van Schaik, C. (2002). Primate brains and life histories. In P. Kappeler (Ed.), The evolution of primate life histories (pp. 233-265). University of Chicago Press.
- Primate evolution and the amygdala.Barton, R., & Aggleton, J. (2000). Primate evolution and the amygdala. In J. Aggleton (Ed.), The amygdala: a functional analysis. (pp. 480-508). Oxford University Press.
- Socioecology of baboons: the interaction of male and female strategies.Barton, R. (2000). Socioecology of baboons: the interaction of male and female strategies. In P. Kappeler (Ed.), Primate males. (pp. 167-203). ambridge University Press.
- Ecological and social factors in primate brain evolution.Barton, R. (2000). Ecological and social factors in primate brain evolution. In S. Boinski & P. Garber (Eds.), On the move: how and why animals travel in groups. Chicago University Press.
- The evolutionary ecology of the primate brain.Barton, R. (1999). The evolutionary ecology of the primate brain. In P. Lee (Ed.), Comparative Primate Socioecology (pp. 167-203). Cambridge University Press.
Edited book
- Evolution of Sleep: Phylogenetic and Functional Perspectives.McNamara, P., Barton, R., & Nunn, C. (Eds.). (2009). Evolution of Sleep: Phylogenetic and Functional Perspectives. Cambridge University Press.
Journal Article
- Embodied cognitive evolution and the limits of convergenceBarton, R. A., & Barrett, L. (in press). Embodied cognitive evolution and the limits of convergence. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.
- The Brains and Bones Project: Using Embodied Teaching to Teach EmbodimentRosen, S., & Barton, R. (2025). The Brains and Bones Project: Using Embodied Teaching to Teach Embodiment. Teaching Anthropology, 14(1), Article DT1. https://doi.org/10.22582/ta.v14i1.689
- Meta-analysis of the red advantage in combat sportsPeperkoorn, L. S., Hill, R. A., Barton, R. A., & Pollet, T. V. (2024). Meta-analysis of the red advantage in combat sports. Scientific Reports, 14(1), Article 30822. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-81373-3
- Hominin brain size increase has emerged from within-species encephalizationPüschel, T. A., Nicholson, S. L., Baker, J., Barton, R. A., & Venditti, C. (2024). Hominin brain size increase has emerged from within-species encephalization. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(49), Article e2409542121. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2409542121
- Measuring episodic memory and mental time travel: crossing the species gapCollaro, E., Barton, R. A., Ainge, J., & Easton, A. (2024). Measuring episodic memory and mental time travel: crossing the species gap. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 379(1913), Article 20230406. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2023.0406
- Co-evolutionary dynamics of mammalian brain and body sizeVenditti, C., Baker, J., & Barton, R. A. (2024). Co-evolutionary dynamics of mammalian brain and body size. Nature Ecology and Evolution, 8, 1534–1542. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-024-02451-3
- A systematic review of sex differences in rough and tumble play across non-human mammalsMarley, C. L., Pollard, T. M., Barton, R. A., & Street, S. E. (2022). A systematic review of sex differences in rough and tumble play across non-human mammals. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 76(12), Article 158. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-022-03260-z
- Understanding the human brain: insights from comparative biologyDeCasien, A. R., Barton, R. A., & Higham, J. P. (2022). Understanding the human brain: insights from comparative biology. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 26(5), 432-445. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2022.02.003
- Experts in action: why we need an embodied social brain hypothesisBarrett, L., Henzi, S. P., & Barton, R. A. (2022). Experts in action: why we need an embodied social brain hypothesis. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 377(1844). https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2020.0533
- Maternal investment, life histories, and the evolution of brain structure in primatesPowell, L. E., Barton, R. A., & Street, S. E. (2019). Maternal investment, life histories, and the evolution of brain structure in primates. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 286(1911), Article 20191608. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.1608
- Quantitative uniqueness of human brain evolution revealed through phylogenetic comparative analysisMiller, I. F., Barton, R. A., & Nunn, C. L. (2019). Quantitative uniqueness of human brain evolution revealed through phylogenetic comparative analysis. ELife, 8, Article e41250. https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.41250
- Women’s emotional and sexual attraction to men across the menstrual cycleShimoda, R., Campbell, A., & Barton, R. (2018). Women’s emotional and sexual attraction to men across the menstrual cycle. Behavioral Ecology, 29(1), 51-59. https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arx124
- Proportional versus relative size as metrics in human brain evolutionBarton, R. A., & Montgomery, S. H. (2018). Proportional versus relative size as metrics in human brain evolution. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(1). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1817200116
- Re-evaluating the link between brain size and behavioural ecology in primatesPowell, L. E., Isler, K., & Barton, R. A. (2017). Re-evaluating the link between brain size and behavioural ecology in primates. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 284(1865). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.1765
- Nutritional status and the influence of TV consumption on female body size ideals in populations recently exposed to the mediaJucker, J., Thornborrow, T., Beierholm, U., Burt, D., Barton, R., Evans, E., Jamieson, M., & Boothroyd, L. (2017). Nutritional status and the influence of TV consumption on female body size ideals in populations recently exposed to the media. Scientific Reports, 7(1), Article 8438. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-08653-z
- How to get all your eggs in one basket?Barton, R. A. (2017). How to get all your eggs in one basket?. Science, 356(6344), 1249-1254. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaj1945
- General intelligence does not help us understand cognitive evolutionShuker, D. M., Barrett, L., Dickins, T. E., Scott-Phillips, T. C., & Barton, R. A. (2017). General intelligence does not help us understand cognitive evolution. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 40, Article e218. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x16001771
- Transparency, Usability, and Reproducibility: Guiding Principles for Improving Comparative Databases Using Primates as ExamplesBorries, C., Sandel, A., Koenig, A., Fernandez-Duque, E., Kamilar, J., Amoroso, C., Barton, R., Bray, J., Di Fiore, A., Gilby, I., Gordon, A., Mundry, R., Port, M., Powell, L., Pusey, A., Spriggs, A., & Nunn, C. (2016). Transparency, Usability, and Reproducibility: Guiding Principles for Improving Comparative Databases Using Primates as Examples. Evolutionary Anthropology, 25(5), 232-238. https://doi.org/10.1002/evan.21502
- Brain evolution and development: adaptation, allometry and constraintMontgomery, S., Mundy, N., & Barton, R. (2016). Brain evolution and development: adaptation, allometry and constraint. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 283(1838), Article 20160433. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.0433
- Sleep, Evolution and BrainsBarton, R., & Cappellini, I. (2016). Sleep, Evolution and Brains. Brain, Behavior and Evolution, 87(2), 65-68. https://doi.org/10.1159/000443716
- Microparasites and placental invasiveness in eutherian mammalsCapellini, I., Nunn, C. L., & Barton, R. A. (2015). Microparasites and placental invasiveness in eutherian mammals. PLoS ONE, 10(7), Article e0132563. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0132563
- Red clothing increases perceived dominance, aggression and angerWiedemann, D., Burt, D., Hill, R., & Barton, R. (2015). Red clothing increases perceived dominance, aggression and anger. Biology Letters, 11(5), Article 20150166. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0166
- The 2D:4D digit ratio and social behaviour in wild female chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) in relation to dominance, aggression, interest in infants, affiliation and heritabilityHowlett, C., Setchell, J., Hill, R., & Barton, R. (2015). The 2D:4D digit ratio and social behaviour in wild female chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) in relation to dominance, aggression, interest in infants, affiliation and heritability. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 69(1), 61-74. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-014-1817-5
- Rapid Evolution of the Cerebellum in Humans and Other Great ApesBarton, R., & Venditti, C. (2014). Rapid Evolution of the Cerebellum in Humans and Other Great Apes. Current Biology, 24(20), 2440-2444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2014.08.056
- Primate comparative neuroscience using magnetic resonance imaging: promises and challengesMars, R., Neubert, F.-X., Verhagen, L., Sallet, J., Miller, K., Dunbar, R., & Barton, R. (2014). Primate comparative neuroscience using magnetic resonance imaging: promises and challenges. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 8, Article 298. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2014.00298
- ASPM and mammalian brain evolution: A case study in the difficulty in making macroevolutionary inferences about gene-phenotype associationsMontgomery, S., Barton, R., & Mundy, N. (2014). ASPM and mammalian brain evolution: A case study in the difficulty in making macroevolutionary inferences about gene-phenotype associations. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 281(1778), Article 20131743. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2013.1743
- Reciprocal causation and the proximate-ultimate distinctionDickins, T., & Barton, R. (2013). Reciprocal causation and the proximate-ultimate distinction. Biology and Philosophy, 28(5), 747-756. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10539-012-9345-z
- Human frontal lobes are not relatively largeBarton, R., & Venditti, C. (2013). Human frontal lobes are not relatively large. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(22), 9001-9006. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1215723110
- Embodied cognitive evolution and the cerebellumBarton, R. A. (2012). Embodied cognitive evolution and the cerebellum. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 367(1599), 2097-2107. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2012.0112
- Redness Enhances Perceived Aggression, Dominance and Attractiveness in Men’s FacesStephen, I., Oldham, F., Perrett, D., & Barton, R. (2012). Redness Enhances Perceived Aggression, Dominance and Attractiveness in Men’s Faces. Evolutionary Psychology, 10(3), 562-572.
- Maternal investment, life histories and the costs of brain growth in mammalsBarton, R., & Capellini, I. (2011). Maternal investment, life histories and the costs of brain growth in mammals. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(15), 6169-6174. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1019140108
- Adaptive Evolution of Four Microcephaly Genes and the Evolution of Brain Size in Anthropoid PrimatesMontgomery, S., Capellini, I., Venditti, C., Barton, R., & Mundy, N. (2011). Adaptive Evolution of Four Microcephaly Genes and the Evolution of Brain Size in Anthropoid Primates. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 28(1), 625-638. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msq237
- Placentation and maternal investment in mammalsCapellini, I., Venditti, C., & Barton, R. (2011). Placentation and maternal investment in mammals. American Naturalist, 177(1), 86-98. https://doi.org/10.1086/657435
- Phylogeny and metabolic scaling in mammalsCapellini, I., Venditti, C., & Barton, R. (2010). Phylogeny and metabolic scaling in mammals. Ecology, 91(9), 2783-2793. https://doi.org/10.1890/09-0817
- Reconstructing the ups and downs of primate brain evolution: implications for adaptive hypotheses and Homo floresiensisMontgomery, S., Capellini, I., Barton, R., & Mundy, N. (2010). Reconstructing the ups and downs of primate brain evolution: implications for adaptive hypotheses and Homo floresiensis. BMC Biology, 8(9). https://doi.org/10.1186/1741-7007-8-9
- Sperm competition and brain size evolution in mammals.Lemaître, J.-F., Ramm, S., Barton, R., & Stockley, P. (2009). Sperm competition and brain size evolution in mammals. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 22(11), 2215–2221. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1420-9101.2009.01837.x
- Remotely sensed productivity, home range selection and local range use by an omnivorous primateWillems, E., Barton, R., & Hill, R. (2009). Remotely sensed productivity, home range selection and local range use by an omnivorous primate. Behavioral Ecology, 20(5), 985-992. https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arp087
- Does sleep play a role in memory consolidation? A comparative testCapellini, I., McNamara, P., Preston, B., Preston, B., Nunn, C., & Barton, R. (2009). Does sleep play a role in memory consolidation? A comparative test. PLoS ONE, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0004609
- Parasite resistance and the adaptive significance of sleepPreston, B. T., Capellini, I., McNamara, P., Barton, R. A., & Nunn, C. L. (2009). Parasite resistance and the adaptive significance of sleep. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 9(7). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-9-7
- Energetic constraints, not predation, influence the evolution of sleep patterning in mammals.Capellini, I., Nunn, C., McNamara, P., Preston, B., & Barton, R. (2008). Energetic constraints, not predation, influence the evolution of sleep patterning in mammals. Functional Ecology, 22(5), 847-853. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2435.2008.01449.x
- The Phylogeny of Sleep Database: A New Resource for Sleep Scientists.McNamara, P., Capellini, I., Harris, E., Nunn, C., Barton, R., & Preston, B. (2008). The Phylogeny of Sleep Database: A New Resource for Sleep Scientists. The Open Sleep Journal, 1, 11-14.
- Red shirt colour is associated with long-term team success in English football.Atrill, M., Gresty, K., Hill, R., & Barton, R. (2008). Red shirt colour is associated with long-term team success in English football. Journal of Sports Sciences, 26(6), 577-582. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640410701736244
- Phylogenetic analysis of the ecology and evolution of mammalian Sleep.Capellini, I., Barton, R., McNamara, P., Preston, B., & Nunn, C. (2008). Phylogenetic analysis of the ecology and evolution of mammalian Sleep. Evolution, 62(7), 1764-1776. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1558-5646.2008.00392.x
- Primate brain architecture and selection in relation to sexLindenfors, P., Nunn, C., & Barton, R. (2007). Primate brain architecture and selection in relation to sex. BMC Biology, 5(20). https://doi.org/10.1186/1741-7007-5-20
- Evolutionary specialization of mammalian cortical structure.Barton, R. (2007). Evolutionary specialization of mammalian cortical structure. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 20(4), 1504-1511.
- Primate brain evolution: integrating comparative, neurophysiological and ethological dataBarton, R. (2006). Primate brain evolution: integrating comparative, neurophysiological and ethological data. Evolutionary Anthropology, 15(6), 224-236. https://doi.org/10.1002/evan.20105
- Neuroscientists need to be evolutionarily challenged.Barton, R. (2006). Neuroscientists need to be evolutionarily challenged. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 29(1), 13-14. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X06239013
- Amygdala size and hypothalamus size predict social play frequency in non-human primates: a comparative analysis using independent contrasts.Lewis, K., & Barton, R. (2006). Amygdala size and hypothalamus size predict social play frequency in non-human primates: a comparative analysis using independent contrasts. Journal of Comparative Psychology, 120(1), 31–37. https://doi.org/10.1037/0735-7036.120.1.31
- Olfactory evolution and behavioral ecology in primates.Barton, R. (2006). Olfactory evolution and behavioral ecology in primates. American Journal of Primatology, 68, 545-558. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.20251
- Seeing red? Reply to Rowe et al.Barton, R., & Hill, R. (2005). Seeing red? Reply to Rowe et al. Nature, 437, E10-E11. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature04307
- Red enhances human performance in contestsHill, R., & Barton, R. (2005). Red enhances human performance in contests. Nature, 435(7040). https://doi.org/10.1038/435293a
- Binocularity and brain evolution in primatesBarton, R. (2004). Binocularity and brain evolution in primates. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 101(27), 10113-10115. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0401955101
- Parasite Pressure and Evolutionary Diversification in Primates.Nunn, C., Altizer, S., Sechrest, W., Jones, K., Barton, R., & Gittleman, J. (2004). Parasite Pressure and Evolutionary Diversification in Primates. American Naturalist, 162, 597-614. https://doi.org/10.1086/378721
- Evolutionary coherence of the mammalian amygdalaBarton, R., Aggleton, J., & Grenyer, R. (2003). Evolutionary coherence of the mammalian amygdala. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 270(1514), 539-544. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2002.2276
- Playing for keeps: evolutionary relationships between social play and the cerebellum in non-human primates.Lewis, K., & Barton, R. (2003). Playing for keeps: evolutionary relationships between social play and the cerebellum in non-human primates. Human Nature, 15, 5-21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-004-1001-0.
- The evolution of the cortico-cerebellar complex in primates: anatomical connections predict patterns of correlated evolutionWhiting, B., & Barton, R. (2003). The evolution of the cortico-cerebellar complex in primates: anatomical connections predict patterns of correlated evolution. Journal of Human Evolution, 44(1), 3-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0047-2484%2802%2900162-8
- How did brains evolve?Barton, R. (2002). How did brains evolve?. Nature, 415, 134-135. https://doi.org/10.1038/415134a
- The coordinated structure of mosaic brain evolution.Barton, R. (2001). The coordinated structure of mosaic brain evolution. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 24, 282-282. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x01253953
- Post-conflict behaviour of spectacled leaf monkeys (Trachypithecus obscurus) I: Reconciliation.Arnold, K., & Barton, R. (2001). Post-conflict behaviour of spectacled leaf monkeys (Trachypithecus obscurus) I: Reconciliation. International Journal of Primatology, 22, 243-266.
- Post-conflict behaviour of spectacled leaf monkeys (Trachypithecus obscurus) II: involvement of third parties.Arnold, K., & Barton, R. (2001). Post-conflict behaviour of spectacled leaf monkeys (Trachypithecus obscurus) II: involvement of third parties. International Journal of Primatology, 22, 267-286.
- Comparative methods for studying primate adaptation.Nunn, C., & Barton, R. (2001). Comparative methods for studying primate adaptation. Evolutionary Anthropology, 10, 81-98.
- Mosaic Evolution of brain structure in mammals.Barton, R., & Harvey, P. (2000). Mosaic Evolution of brain structure in mammals. Nature, 405, 1055-1058. https://doi.org/10.1038/35016580
- Allometric Slopes and Independent Contrasts: A Comparative Test of Kleiber's Law in Primate Ranging Patterns.Nunn, C., & Barton, R. (2000). Allometric Slopes and Independent Contrasts: A Comparative Test of Kleiber’s Law in Primate Ranging Patterns. American Naturalist, 156, 519-533. https://doi.org/10.1086/303405
- Visual specialisation and brain evolution in primates.Barton, R. (1998). Visual specialisation and brain evolution in primates. Proceedings of the Royal Society (Biological Sciences), 265, 1933-1937.