Primatology in Japan

Masayuki NAKAMICHI (Graduate School of Human Sciences)

Cource Objective
   There are many academic fields where researchers try to understand human nature based on their own methods and perspectives. Primatology is one such academic field. Students are expected to understand societies and social behavior of nonhuman primates, which in evolutionarily terms are our closest neighbors, and then to consider human nature from the viewpoint of primatology.
   Japan has been one of the pioneer countries that started field research on wild nonhuman primates including Japanese monkeys, particularly with regard to the utilization of two characteristic methods: individual identification of monkeys and feeding artificial food such as soybeans. In this course, we will explore "the world of nonhuman primates", learning about the various research findings about Japanese monkeys and other nonhuman primates. Students will be expected to think not only of differences but also similarities between humans and nonhuman primates. Students are also expected to learn how to record the behavior patterns of living animals, including humans, both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Course Content
   Week 1 Introduction: What is Primatology?
   We will explore a short history of Japanese primatology and research of Japanese monkeys.
  
   Week 2 Social organization of Japanese monkeys: females
   We will explore dominance hierarchy among females in a social group of Japanese monkeys.
  
   Week 3 Social organization of Japanese monkeys: males
   We will explore dominance hierarchy among adult males, analysing a case about a change of the first-ranking males.
  
   Week 4 What is grooming? Why do monkeys groom others?
   We will understand grooming distribution among adult females and explore its function?
  
   Week 5 Intelligence of Japanese monkeys
   We will understand how much they are intelligent through their behaviours observed in the wild situations.
  
   Week 6 Understanding social behaviours of ring-tailed lemurs (prosimian)
   We will explore group life of ring-tailed lemurs living in Madagascar, comparing with Japanese monkeys.
  
   Week 7 A half-day tour to Arashiyama Monkey Park (if possible)
  
   Week 8* Early development of human and nonhuman primates
   We will explore basic abilities of babies in primates including human. How much are human and nonhuman primate babies similar to each other?
  
   Week 9 Mother-infant relationships in nonhuman primates
   We will explore developmental changes in mother-infant relationships, based on quantitative data.
  
   Week 10 Case study: Development of congenitally malformed Japanese monkey infants
   We will explore how malformed infants interact with their mothers and other group members?
  
   Week 11 Maternal responses to dead infants
   We will explore how mothers and other group members respond to the death of their infants.
  
   Week 12 Ageing in Japanese monkeys: grandmother-hypothesis
   What are differences in behaviour of aged individual between human and nonhuman primates? What rolls do aged individuals have in social groups?
  
   Week 13 Observing zoo animals: gorillas in a captive social group
   We will explore similarities and differences in behaviours between captive and free-ranging animals.
  
   Week 14 Human-monkey relations
   We will explore a social problem between Japanese people and wild Japanese monkeys: crop-raiding by Japanese monkeys.

Textbooks
   none

Grading Policy

• Class participation 20%
• homework assignments 30%
• Report (the detail will be announced in class) 30%
• Final Exam 20%