Mark Pagel

Mark Pagel is a British evolutionary biologist and author whose research explores how natural selection and cultural transmission shape human behaviour. He is Professor of Evolutionary Biology at the University of Reading. Pagel is known for work on the evolution of human language and for applying evolutionary thinking to culture, cooperation, and social learning. He has written for general readers as well as specialists, including the book *Wired for Culture: Origins of the Human Social Mind* (2012), which argues that culture is a key evolutionary force in human success. Through his academic work and public writing, he has helped popularise cultural evolution as a framework for understanding humanity.