Salivary testosterone levels were analyzed for 15-90 year-old-Japanese in order to understand the variability and ageing patterns. Findings are as follows :1) The variation in salivary free testosterone levels (T) among Japanese for the both sexes is significant.2) The aging pattern in T among Japanese males is different from those of hunter-gatherers in showing a significant decrease from 20s to 40s. But it is also different from those of western industrialized countries in not showing any significant decrease after 40 years old.3) Decrease in diurnal fluctuation which has been know to be common among old men in the western countries was not significant among Japanese males. There are many 60-70 year-old males who show significant diurnal T-fluctuation. Probably they maintain healthy neuro-endocrinological systems.4) There is no clear association found between mental rotation scores and free testosterone levels for both sexes, except that males with extremely low testosterone levels scored high.5) There is a positive association between Mini-Mental-State and free T in 90-year-old males

The main results on research implementation / management are as follows.(1) Expansion of a twins registry : Complete-address investigation of the twins of an area was conducted from the basic resident register focusing on mainly Kanagawa and Chiba Prefecture, the address list (registry) was expanded, and 9000 sets of data was obtained. Thereby the base for big twins research which covers the main areas of Tokyo and the adjoining prefecture was improved.(2) Expansion and maintenance of a twin sample : it appealed for the participation to investigation based on the above-mentioned registry, about 500 sets of adolescence twins' new sample was newly obtained, and the number of twins subjects exceeded 800 sets. Moreover, data was collected also from the parents of the twins concerning a rearing and a societal attitude also from the parents who cooperated until now. Thereby, the research on the structure of the heredity about the transfer in a family of a rearing attitude or a societal attitude and environment was attained.(3) Addition of data and collect ion : From the old sample, the new data of event related potential (ERP), working memory, response time, and an individualized intelligence test (WAIS) were obtained. Moreover, from the new sample, the data about the zygosity diagnosis and the various personalities in question paper, eating behavior, etc. came to hand reliable model search of hereditability and the structure of heredity and environment. Model fitting by structural equation modeling was performed for these analyses.(4) Development of a brain-wave analysis program, an improvement of brain-waves measurement environment : development of the special brain-waves analysis program which suited the present measurement situation installed the shield room for exact brain-waves measurement. Although this was because it was obliged to move the place of a laboratory which performs brain-waves measurement for convenience' sake [unexpected], it will contribute to an improvement of experiment conditions as a result

This research focused on the developmental patterns of crania, dentition, and postcrania among wild Pongo pygameus. Skeletal parts investigated in this study were as follows : tooth eruption and wear progress, cranial sutures, proximal and distal joints of long bones, clavicle, pelvis. As size variables, size of dentition, cranial, and long bones were also measured. Analysis of developmental stages of teeth and several skeletal joints revealed the several distinct aspects of orangutan development. Those are listed below.1. Development, maturing and aging of teeth, crania, postcrania occur more or less independently, especially in males. Therefore, the definition of adult should be done carefully. 2. Basal cranial suture (spheno-occipital synchondorosis) closes only after the completion of eruption of permanent dentition, and sometimes, molars show heavy wear by then. 3. The last postcranial parts to finish development are distal ends of forelimbs. The line of distal end of ulna and radius happens after the closure of basal cranial suture. Development, maturing and aging of crania and postcranial are supposed to be controlled by endocrinological factors which are in turn related probably with social behavior. In order to have better understanding of these interactions, it is necessary to carry out longitudinal study on captive orangutans in which morphological, endocrinological and behavioral variables should be studied at the same time. In addition, in order to approach the evolutionary, and adaptive significance of such developmental patterns of orangutans, a study of wild orangutans in which association between morphology and reproductive success is necessary

1. During this study period, we found the following three new examples of tool use among wild chimpanzees at the main study area of Bossou, Guinea : l) Algae-scooping ; Chimpanzees use sticks approximately 50 cm long to scoop and ingest algae (pond scum) floating in ponds. Ghimpanzees select thin, light grasses or stems of ferns as sticks, and they remove hampering side-branches before utilizing them. Holding them in one hand, they extend the processed sticks as far as possible from the edge of ponds to scoop algae. 2) Leaf-cushion ; Chimpanzees arrange several large leaves on the ground and sit on them when the ground is moist in order to avoid getting wet. 3) Termite-fishing ; Chimpanzees insert thin stems of grasses into holes of termite mounds after breaking open the surface of the latter. Termites bite the intruding stems, and are thus lifted out of the mounds and subsequently eaten by chimpanzees retracting the stems. Termite, -fishing is widespread among chimpanzees in Gombe, East Africa, but it has rarely been seen in West Africa. Our observations of Algae-scooping and Leaf-cushion constitute the first ever reports of these newly-found tools among wild chimpanzees. These discoveries lead to a claim that chimpanzees at Bossou have the largest repertoire of tools among all wild communities studied. There have so far been a total of 27 tools observed among wild chimpanzees, 18 of which can be seen at Bossou. We are now conducting an analysis of ecological factors to explain why chimpanzees at Bossou use such a large number of tools.2. We measured the study site and made a survey map for the basis of research. We also investigated the flora of Bossou, the availability of main fruits, and their seasonal changes. This data was used to analyze the correlation between seasonal changes in fruit availability and the frequency of tool use. The latter analysis is now beginning to indicate that chimpanzees frequently use tools during fruit scarcity to gain access to foods that could not be acquired otherwise.3. We observed parturition in a l0.5-year-old female. This fact along with accumulated data on population dynamics demonstrate that in wild chimpanzees at Bossou, the age of primiparity is lower and the inter-birth interval shorter than previously reported from East Africa

Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE Public Lecture - Organizer- 2007/11/13 (Sponser: SILS, JGI-J ,WAVOC)

２００４年度 講義：心の科学ー人類学的視点から（波田野誼余夫氏と共に出演）

研究課題「言語の起源・進化・多様性への人類学的アプローチ」について国内および海外の共同研究者（言語学、霊長類学、考古学、文化人類学、社会進化学、認知神経科学の専門家）と研究体制および研究構想を検討し、科研費申請の準備を次の３項目について行った。a. 共同研究者の各専門分野での言語進化の考え方および仮説検討の方法ついて意見交換、b.理論言語学および生物言語学の近年の学術書と論文を精査し人類進化学との整合性を考察、c. 人類および現生大型類人猿の道具製作・使用における言語を可能とする認知機能との関係性をメタ分析するためにデータ収集。

本特定課題の代表はH26年度新学術領域研究応募「進化言語学の確立と推進：人間言語の起源・進化の共生的理解にむけて」（領域代表　藤田耕司 京大）の生物学分野の計画研究代表で、H27年度応募「共生に基づく進化言語学の創成と革新的発展」（同領域代表）の計画研究「言語の起源・進化・多様性への人類学的アプローチ」の代表である。本課題への助成により、領域代表者、新たに参加する研究分担者そして海外共同研究者との打合せおよび研究内容調整を有効に実施できた。その結果、H27年度応募は改良・強化した領域・計画研究体制とで望み、昨年度同様ヒアリング対象となり、より実効性および発展性の高い研究計画調書を作成できた。