GoingToMeet

The particular focus of this theme is on the dynamic interplay between ontogeny and phylogeny. In other words, how do new abilities and skills that emerge during development influence the path of evolution, and how do subsequent evolutionary changes help to create new developmental trajectories? This is a question that fits well within the mission of epigenetic robotics, as it spans not only a wide range of research areas and academic disciplines (e.g., biology, psychology, AI and machine learning, linguistics, anthropology, etc.) but also a broad spectrum of spatial and temporal scales (e.g., neurons, brains, social communities, cultures, etc.).

We are especially interested in submissions that will enhance the emerging dialog between evolutionary and developmental perspectives. Relevant topics include, but are not limited to:

* Artificial embryology
* Morphogenesis, differentiation, and regulation
* Behavioral inheritance and social learning
* The evolution of language acquisition
* Phylogenetic constraints on perceptual processing (e.g., face perception)
* Neuroplasticity and the evolution of cognition
* Evolutionary influences on mother-infant bonding
* Modularity of mind (evolutionary constraints on neural processing)
* Tool-use and problem-solving in humans, non-human primates, and machines