| 研究開始時の研究の概要 |
The overall structure of this research aims at investigating group-mindedness from 3 levels: the behaviour (group-level cooperative behaviour), the hypothesized selection pressures (intergroup resource competition), and the proximate mechanisms (the neuropeptide oxytocin). My research focuses especially on where these levels intersect, and aims to empirically validate the proposed links between each component, in order to develop more coherent and robust predictions about the factors and forces through which group cooperation can evolve.
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| 研究実績の概要 |
In this fiscal year of the fellowship I successfully completed data collection on all planned works, including a couple small new projects in addition to the main planned experiments. I have additionally analyzed the majority of this data, as well as submitted some for publication. I travelled and presented my work at international conferences, participated in education/networking programs (summer and winter schools), and showcased my work at several invited talks internationally (primarily in Europe). The work from this fiscal year has the outlook of several publications to come in this upcoming fiscal year, including at least one on horse oxytocin, one on bonobo intergroup behaviour, one on great ape eye-tracking, one on a group cooperation task with chimpanzees, and one theoretical-empirical collaboration working with mathematicians to develop mathematical models of group-based cooperation. This work is mostly analyzed, with two of the papers submitted, two nearly completed awaiting final writing, and one needing final data analysis to be completed before writing and submission.
The results of this work show promise to pay off significantly. With the data in hand and some results, different directions of study from physiology to ethology to mathematics are beginning to be synthesized together for new understandings. The research is working and beginning to reveal important structures and dimensions in the evolutionary origins of cooperation and group-based behaviour.
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