(last update, March 2024)

Nobuyuki Kutsukake, Ph. D. 

ORCID: 0000-0001-8637-6233

Current Position

    Professor, Research Center for Integrative Evolutionary Sciences, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI

        Hayama, Miura-gun, Kanagawa, 240-0193 JAPAN. 

        Tel: +81-46-858-1562, Email: kutsu [a] soken.ac.jp

Place of Birth

    Tokyo, JAPAN (January 1975)

Nationality

    Japanese

Research Areas

    Animal Behavior, Behavioral Ecology, Ethology, Evolutionary Biology, Primatology

Scientific Biography

1. 1998: B.S. (biology) Anthropology, Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan (Major: Physical Anthropology)

2. 2000: M.A. (multidisciplinary sciences) Department of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan (Major Area: Psychology, supervisor: Toshikazu Hasegawa), Title: Conflict resolution among Japanese macaques

3. 2000-2003: Research Fellow of the Japan Society of Promotion for Sciences (DC1), Department of Arts and Sciences, the University of Tokyo (advisor: Toshikazu Hasegawa)

4. 2003: Ph. D. (multidisciplinary sciences) Department of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan (Major Area: Psychology, supervisor: Toshikazu Hasegawa), Dissertation Title: Influences of Relationship Quality on Social Stress and Conflict Resolution in Wild Chimpanzees

5. 2003-2006: Post-doctoral Research Fellow of the Japan Society of Promotion for Sciences (PD), Anthropology, Department of Biological Sciences, the University of Tokyo (advisor: Takafumi Ishida)

6. 2004-2005 (12 months): Visiting Researcher, Large Animal Research Group, Department of Zoology, The University of Cambridge (advisor: Tim H Clutton-Brock)

7. 2006-2007: Special Postdoctoral Researcher, Laboratory of Biolinguistics, RIKEN Brain Science Institute (advisor: Kazuo Okanoya)

8. 2007-2013: Assistant Professor, Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (2010, tenure approved)

9. 2009-2013: PRESTO (Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology) researcher, JST (Japan Science and Technology Agency)

10. 2011 (9 months): Visiting Researcher, Evolutionary and Behavioral Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Colorado, Boulder (host: Rebecca Safran)

11. 2013-2019: Lecturer, Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies

12. 2019 (April): Associate professor, Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (-2023. March)

13. 2019 (July) - present: current position

14. 2021-: Dean of the School of Advanced Sciences, SOKENDAI

15. 2023- Professor, Research Center for Integrative Evolutionary Sciences, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI

16. 2023-present: Dean of Integrative Evolutionary Sciences Course and Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, SOKENDAI

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Papers in Peer-Reviewed Journals  

    see publications

Editorial Services

1. Primates, Advisory Board (2009-2020), Associate Editor (2021-2025)

2.  Journal of Ethology, Associate Editor (2011-)

3. Biology Letters, Editorial Board (2016-)

4. Animal Behaviour, Consulting editor (2024-)

5. Ad hoc reviewer: Primate Research (in Japanese), Behaviour, Journal of Ethology, Evolution and Human Behavior, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, Mammal Study, American Journal of Primatology, Cambridge University Press, Behavioral Ecology, Seibutsu Kagaku (in Japanese), Primates, Animal Behaviour, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, U.S.A., Biology Letters, The Japanese Journal of Animal Psychology, International Journal of Primatology, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences, Physiology & Behavior, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Zoological Science, Journal of Theoretical Biology, Stress, Ethology, Molecular Ecology, Animal Cognition, Journal of Comparative Physiology - A, Developmental Science, PLOS Computational Biology, Pan Africa News, PLOS ONE, Toukei-Suuri (in Japanese), Current Zoology, Biological Reviews, Royal Society Open Science, Scientific Reports, Ecological Research, Zoological Letters, Communications Biology, Journal of Zoology, Animal Behavior and Cognition, Journal of the Royal Society Interface, Animals, Systematic Biology, Philosophical Transactions B 

Other reviewer

1. United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation (2011)

2. The Romanian National Council for Development and Innovation, evaluator (2012)

3. An external reviewer of the doctoral thesis in Charles Sturt University, Australia (2016)

4. JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research, details not written here (2017-2021)

5. The Leakey Foundation Grants (2023)

6. British Academy (2023)

7. Zukunftskolleg Fellowship, the University of Konstanz  (2023)

Research Grants

As a Principal Investigator [ID: 12702, 28, 20435647, K07I494644B]

1. 2000-2002 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (DC1) (total: 3,000 thousand yen) “Decision-making and social intelligence in primates” (日本学術振興会特別研究員研究費DC1, 霊長類における社会交渉時の意思決定:社会的知能仮説の検証)

2. 2003-2005 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (PD) (total: 3,300 thousand yen) “Sperm competition and female control on paternity in primates” (日本学術振興会特別研究員研究費PD, 霊長類における性淘汰:精子間競争とメスによる父性の操作)

3. 2006-2008 RIKEN Special Post-Doctoral Researchers Program (total: 2,600 thousand yen) “Social interactions and communication in social mammals” (理化学研究所 基礎科学特別研究員研究費 社会性哺乳類における音声コミュニケーションと個体間交渉)

4. 2006 JSPS Core-to-Core Program, HOPE Project (Primate Origins of Human Evolution), “Reproductive skew in male primates: tests of theory and implication for sexual transmitted disease” (total: 260,400 yen) [独立行政法人・日本学術振興会・先端研究拠点事業・人類の進化の霊長類的起源(HOPE) 「霊長類におけるオス間の繁殖の偏り：モデルの検証と性感染症との関連」(事業番号18-021)]

5. 2006 The Japan Foundation, travel grant (to Oxford, UK), 614 GBP

6. 2006-2008 Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research, Start-up (total: 2,620 thousand yen) “Cooperation and competition among relatives in cooperatively breeding mammals” 沓掛展之 科学研究費・若手スタートアップ「協同繁殖する哺乳類における血縁個体間の協力と競争」(課題番号 18870025)

7. 2006-2008 RIKEN matching fund (total: 1,310 thousand yen) 沓掛展之 理化学研究所マッチングファンド

8. 2008-2010 Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research, Wakate B (total: 4,000 thousand yen) “Group decision making in eusocial naked mole-rats” 沓掛展之 科学研究費・若手B「真社会性ハダカデバネズミにおける集団的意思決定」(課題番号 2077023)

9. 2008-2010 Research Project, Hayama Center for Advanced Studies, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (total: 2,800 thousand yen) “Behavioral ecology of sociality in monogamous mammals” 沓掛展之 一夫一妻型哺乳類における社会性と行動生態 平成20年度～平成21年度 葉山高等研究センタープロジェクト研究 (人間生命科学)

10. 2009 The Japan Foundation, travel grant (to Oxford, UK), 778 GBP

11. 2009-2013 PRESTO, JST, “Computational behavioural ecology for inferring adaptive evolution: models of phenotypic evolution and phylogenetic comparative methods”, IN: Innovative model of biological processes and its development. (total: 38,440 thousand yen) 沓掛展之 表現型の進化モデルと系統種間比較から適応進化を明らかにする計算行動生態学 戦略的創造研究推進事業(さきがけ) 「生命現象の革新モデルと展開」(平成21－24年度; 3226)

12. 2010-2012 Research Project, The Center for the Promotion of Integrated Sciences, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (total: 2,500 thousand yen) “Bridging behavioral ecology and comparative cognitive sciences in large mammals”  沓掛展之 大型哺乳類における行動生態学と比較認知科学の融合 平成22年度～平成23年度 学融合推進センタープロジェクト研究・若手研究者研究支援事業

13. 2011 総合研究大学院大学 若手教員海外派遣事業 哺乳類と鳥類の社会性に関する比較進化生態学  （９ヶ月）

14. 2013-2017 Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research, Wakate A (total: 20,500 thousand yen) “Individual social trajectory in mammals: integration of behavioral strategies, fitness, and population dynamics”  沓掛展之 科学研究費・若手A「哺乳類における個体の社会的変遷：行動戦略・適応度・個体群動態を解明する統合生態学」(課題番号 2077023)

15. 2016-2019 Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research, Challenging Exploratory Research (total: 2,900 thousand yen) “Pair dance in the red-crowned crane: computational approaches for understanding its structure and tests of the hormonal synchrony hypothesis” , 沓掛展之 科学研究費・挑戦的萌芽 「タンチョウの求愛ダンス：計算統計学による構造理解と内分泌同調仮説の検証」(16K14806)

16. 2017-2021 Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research, Kiban B (total:13,600 thousand yen) “Sex difference and intrasexual variation in ornaments of cooperatively breeding species: testing social selection theory”  沓掛展之 科学研究費・基盤B「協同繁殖種における装飾の性差と同性内変異：社会淘汰理論の検証」(課題番号 17H03733)

17. 2018-2019 ESB Cooperation Program, SOKENDAI (the Graduate University for Advanced Studies), "Population behavioral ecology of interspecific communication and interactions", (total 553,004 yen), 沓掛展之、先導科学共働プログラム、萌芽的共同研究、異種間コミュニケーションと相互交渉の群集行動生態学

18. 2019-2021 ESB Cooperation Program, SOKENDAI (the Graduate University for Advanced Studies), "Cognitive and behavioral sciences in synanthropes: adaptive tactics in anthropocene", 総研大・先導研・共働プログラム「シナントロープの認知行動学：人新世における適応戦術」

19. 2021-2022 ESB Cooperation Program, SOKENDAI (the Graduate University for Advanced Studies), "Adatptive evolution in anthropocene: behavioral ecology of wildlives living in artificial environments", 総研大・先導研・共働プログラム「人新世における適応進化：人工環境に暮らす野生動物の行動生態」

20. 2022-2025 Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research, Kiban B (total: 8,450/13,500 thousand yen) “Individual differences and coping with conflict in eusocial mammals”  沓掛展之 科学研究費・基盤B「真社会性哺乳類における個体差と対立への対処」(課題番号22H02698)

Other Research Grants

1. 2006-2008. 科学研究費補助金特定領域研究「状況と発声の統合から意味の創出へ：原型言語の脳機能」（代表：岡ノ谷一夫）、研究分担者（平成18年～19年）、(平成18年度2,100 thousand yen)

2. 2007-2008. 東京大学総括プロジェクト機構ジェロントロジー寄付研究部門モジュール研究「チンパンジーの老化とその性差に関する横断研究」(共同研究者; 代表者: 池田功毅; 600 thousand yen)

3. 2016-2019 科学研究費・基盤C「親の保護シンドロームの進化：ツノカメムシ類の系統種間比較による検討」（代表：工藤 慎一）、研究分担者（平成28年～30年, total: 1,250 thousand yen)

4. 2021-2023 科学研究費・基盤C「種間比較に基づくカワスズメ科魚類の兄弟間対立を取り巻く生活史進化の解明」（代表：佐藤駿）、研究分担者（total: 300 thousand yen)

5. 2024-2028 科学研究費・基盤C「翅の獲得が昆虫にもたらした進化の制約とそこからの解放」（代表：吉澤 和徳）、研究分担者（total: 700 thousand yen)

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Field-works and other research experiences

1. Volunteer for field work on peacocks and squirrel monkeys at Izu Cactuses Park, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, 1996 to 1997 (intermittently)

2. Behavioral field work on Japanese macaques at Shiga-Heights, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, 1997 to 2000 (intermittently)

3. Behavioral field work on wild chimpanzees at the Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania, 2000 to 2001 (for 10 months) Research led by Prof. Toshisada Nishida, Kyoto University.

4. Behavioral field work on wild meerkats at Kalahari, South Africa, 2003 and 2005 (for total 6 months), Research led by Prof. Tim Clutton-Brock, the University of Cambridge.

5. Behavioral experiments in captive naked mole-rats, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Japan, 2005 to 2008 

6. Behavioral experiments in captive chimpanzees, Chimpanzee sanctuary, Japan, 2006

7. Computer simulation of phenotypic evolution, 2009 to 2014

8. Behavioral experiments in fish, 2009 to 2019

Language skills

    Japanese, English, Swahili (forgot)

Programming

    R (basic), C (basic)

Awards/Honors

1. The first Primates Top Impact award on Kutsukake and Castles 2004 (2007, Primate Society of Japan)

2. The 12th Miyadi Award (2008, Ecological Society of Japan)

3. The 17th Takashima Award (2008, Primate Society of Japan)

4. The Young Scientist Initiative Award, SESJ (2008, Society of Evolutionary Studies, Japan)

5. The Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, The Young Scientists’ Prize (2010)

6. Research Award (2014, Japanese Ethological Society)

Conference Organizer and Committee

1. International Colloquium of Evolutionary Studies: Mentors and Students, 2008/2/28-3/1, Hayama, Japan

2. The 10th annual meeting for the Society of Evolutionary Studies, Japan, 2008/8/22-24, Tokyo, Japan

3. International Seminar: Origin and Evolution of Environmental Adaptation - Symbiosis, Cells, Individuals, Populations and Societies, 2010/1/27-29, Hayama, Japan

4. Animal 2011, 2011/9/8-11, Keio Univ, Tokyo, Japan

5. 31st International Congress of Psychology, 2016/7/24-29, Yokohama, Japan

Memberships of Academic Societies

    Japanese Ethological Society, Society of Evolutionary Studies, Japan

Other commitments and responsibilities

1. 2013-2019,  S & T expert, National Institute of Science and Technology Policy, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. 文部科学省 科学技術政策研究所 科学技術予測センター 専門調査員 （2013-2019, 科学技術動向研究センター）

Teaching

At the Graduate University for Advanced Studies

1. Fieldwork course (2008-)

2. Micro- and macro-biology (2008-)

3. Evolutionary behavioural ecology (2012, 2015, 2018, 2021)

4. Comparative cognitive science, a part of Integrated brain science III (2011)

5. Integrated evolutionary biology (2013-)

6. Intergated anthropology (2019, 2022)

Other universities

1. Behavioral Ecology at the University of Tokyo, Komaba, Dept. Cognitive and Behavioral Science (2007, 17 undergraduate students)

2. Ethology at Sophia University, Human Sciences (2007, 7 undergraduate students)

3. Fieldworks for behavioural studies at the University of Tokyo, Komaba, Dept. Cognitive and Behavioral Science (2008, 7 undergraduate students)

4. Behavioral observation in physical anthropology at the University of Tokyo, Komaba, Dept. Biological Sciences (2008, 6 undergraduate students)

5. Behavioural ecology of animal sociality at Primate Research Institute, Kyoto Univ. (2013, 8 graduate students)

6. Anthropology at the University of Tokyo (2014, 5 undergraduate students)

7. Psychology, Keio University (2016, 10 graduate and undergraduate students)

8. Topics in General Systems Studies V ("Evolution of cooperative socieities in animals") at the University of Tokyo, Komaba (2018, 10 graudate students)

9. Primatology at the University of Tokyo, Komaba (2022-, approx. 30 undergraduate students every year)

Supervision and Supports of Independent Studies

    At Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, I supervise graduate students studying evolutionary and behavioural ecology in animals.

    At the University of Tokyo, Hokkaido University, and Japan Women's University (1999 to present), I promoted and advised PhD, Master, and Undergraduate projects on development of the prosocial behavior and conflict resolution among preschool children; Japanese macaque grooming relationship; male-male relationship in captive chimpanzees; an experiment on social learning in chimpanzees; social behavior among black-and-white colobus monkeys; socio-endocrinology in captive chimpanzees; immunity and dominance in captive chimpanzees; social interactions in gibbons; sexual behavior in Japanese macaques; development in Japanese macaques; acoustic communication in primates; ecology of wild carnivores; social behaviour in lions

Alumni

1. Kaori Mizuno - Physical understanding in elephants (Master's degree in 2014, moved to PhD course of Kyoto Univ), Master thesis published in Mizuno et al. (2016) Anim Cog;  Behavioral flexibility in physical and social contexts in Asian elephants (Doctoral degree in 2023)

2. Kota Sawada - Evolutionary ecology of complex sexual systems in marine animals  (Doctoral degree in 2016), partly published in Invertebrate Biology (2015), Journal of Theoretical Biology (2017), and several papers in prep 

3. Kohei Takeda - Ritualized signals in the red-crowned crane: how and why do they perform various displays?  (Doctoral degree in 2016; received Nagakura Research Incentive Award of Sokendai), partly published in Behaviour (2015), Jap J Anim Psychol (2018), Behav Ecol Sociobiol (2018), Behav Ecol (2019), and several papers in prep 

4. Munehiko Ito - Aggression and conflict management in social cichlid fish, Julidochromis regani (Doctoral degree in 2017), published in Journal of Ethology (2017) and Proc Royal Soc Lond B (2018)

5. Takahiro Kato - High male embryo mortality biases secondary sex ratio: stage, causes, context and consequence of sex-specific mortality in Eurasian tree sparrows Passer montanus (Doctoral degree in 2018), partly published in Ecology and Evolution (2017), Ornithological Science (2022), and several papers in prep 

6. Maisa Sekizawa - Accessibility is a determinant of infant handling in wild Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata), (Doctoral degree in 2019), published in Behaviour (2019), Ethology (2022), and Am J Primatol (2023)

7. Sakumi Iki - Social biases affecting self–other matching in Japanese macaques (Doctoral degree in 2022), partly published in Animal Behaviour (2021), International Journal of Primatology (2022), and Animal Cognition (2022)

8. Kanako Ake. Social interactions and communication in the African painted dog, Lycaon pictus (Doctoral degree in 2024), partly published in Animal Behaviour (2024), Animal Cognition (2024), and one in prep.

9. Yu Takahata. Humans and wildlife in the Anthropocene: The multidimensional approach to urban ecology in Eurasian red squirrels (Doctoral degree in 2024), partly published in J Mammal (2024), and several in prep.