The Hakubi Project

9th

The following 13 researchers are working at the Hakubi Center for Advanced Research, Kyoto University.

:Global Type
:Tenure-track Type

Short Introduction

Uncovering the evolution of language remains a deep challenge in science. The complexity and expressive power of language are unparalleled in the animal kingdom, making it difficult to find out its evolutionary origins. However, individual cognitive abilities required for language can be observed in nonhuman species. Using an interdisciplinary approach combining ethology, comparative psychology, linguistics, and evolutionary biology, I explore the adaptation and evolution of linguistic capabilities in wild animals. My study subject is the avian family Paridae. In this group, ca. 60 species occur in the Northern Hemisphere and Africa, living in various habitats, showing a case of adaptive radiation. The goal of my research is not only to uncover the evolutionary processes of linguistic capabilities in these birds but also to provide an ecological reasoning to the current theory of language evolution.

Introduction Research(PDF)

Research activity status (external page)

Latest News

• Sep. 26, 2022

  Assistant Professor Toshitaka Suzuki (Graduate School of Science) published a paper online.(Nature Communications)

• Sep. 9, 2022

  Assistant Professor Toshitaka Suzuki (Graduate School of Science) gave a plenary lecture at International Society for Behavioral Ecology Congress 2022 (ISBE 2022).

• Dec. 1, 2021

  Toshitaka Suzuki, Assistant Professor (Graduate School of Science) will appear on NHK's "Science ZERO".

• Sep. 27, 2021

  Assistant Professor Toshitaka SUZUKI (Graduate School of Science) received "The Japan Ethological Society Award" by Japan Ethological Society.

• Sep. 8, 2021

  Assistant Professor Toshitaka SUZUKI (Graduate School of Science) will appear in a TV show "Wild Life" aired by NHK BS Premium television on September 13th (20:00pm～).

• May. 17, 2021

  Assistant Professor Toshitaka SUZUKI (Graduate School of Science) will appear in a TV show "Darwin ga kita!" aired by NHK Sogo television on May 23th (7:30pm-8:00pm).

• Apr. 7, 2021

  Assistant Professor Toshitaka SUZUKI (Graduate School of Science) received "The Young Scientists' Award, The Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology".

• Apr. 1, 2021

  Assistant Professor Toshitaka SUZUKI (Graduate School of Science) wrote a teaching material for a Japanese textbook of junior high school (Mitsumura Tosho Publishing Co.,Ltd.).

• Feb. 25, 2021

  Assistant Professor Toshitaka SUZUKI(Graduate School of Science) will appear on a TV program "近未来創世記　日本を救うヤバイ偉人" on March 1st (NTV, 8:00pm-9:54pm)

• Feb. 22, 2021

  Assistant Professor Toshitaka SUZUKI (Graduate School of Science) will appear on a TV program "未来の主役　地球の子どもたち　子どもたちと未来のアレコレ考えました！ＳＰ" on February 23th (BS TV TOKYO/テレQ, 4:00pm-4:55pm)

• Jan. 29, 2021

  Hakubi Seminar Announcement (191th meeting)

• Jan. 19, 2021

  Assistant Professor Toshitaka SUZUKI (Graduate School of Science) published a paper online. (Ecological Research)

• Oct. 1, 2020

  Assistant Professor Toshitaka SUZUKI (Graduate School of Science) published a paper online.(Journal of Ethology)

• Oct. 1, 2020

  Assistant Professor Toshitaka SUZUKI appeared on a TV program "探求の階段" on September 10th (TV TOKYO).

• May. 19, 2020

  Assistant Professor Toshitaka SUZUKI (Graduate School of Science) published a paper online.(Current Biology)

• Mar. 19, 2020

  Assistant Professor Toshitaka SUZUKI (Graduate School of Science) published a paper.(Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology)

• Mar. 12, 2020

  Assistant Professor Toshitaka SUZUKI will appear on a TV program "Darwin Ga Kita!" on March 15th (NHK General, 19:30pm-)

• Nov. 26, 2019

  Assistant Professor Toshitaka SUZUKI (Graduate School of Science) published a paper in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B.

• Aug. 15, 2019

  Assistant Professor Toshitaka SUZUKI (Graduate School of Science) published a paper in Current Biology.

• Mar. 25, 2019

  Hakubi Seminar Announcement (163rd meeting)