TOKYO METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
Department of Biological Sciences
Laboratories
Molecular Neuroscience
Neurobiology
Developmental Programs
Cellular Genetics
Molecular Genetics
Plant Hormone Mechanism
Cellular Biochemistry
Stemcell Regeneration
Evolutionary Genetics
Plant Photoregulation
Cell Energetics
Environmental Microbiology
Animal Ecology
Plant Ecology
Systematic Zoology
Systematic Botany
Photo Animal Ecology Laboratory
Our interest is mainly to understand the behavior, life history, social dynamics, and local differentiation of ecological characteristics in animals. We therefore conduct studies not only in the field but also in the laboratory, using various methods ranging from traditional direct observation to molecular techniques.
Faculty
Asc Prof
Tadashi Suzuki
e-mail
suzuki-tadashi@c.metro-u.ac.jp
Ast Prof
Tamotsu Kusano
e-mail
tamo@comp.metro-u.ac.jp
Ast Prof
Fumio Hayashi
e-mail
fhayashi@comp.metro-u.ac.jp
Animal behavior and socio-ecology
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Animals move to search for food, escape from enemies, look for mating partners, defense mates, social status and/or own territory to avoid competitors for breeding. In addition, animals actively behave to ensure paternity if males and effective use of sperm for fertilization if females. Intra- and inter-specific interactions occur by these processes. The members of our laboratory investigate such actions and social phenomena in various animals from a standpoint of general interest and occasionally personal preference.
Geographical variations in ecological characteristics
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Animals are never uniform in size, social structure, reproductive characteristics, behavior, morphology and so on even within the same species, and they often vary geographically. In recent years, it has become possible to compare ecological variations and genetic differentiation in different local populations. Students of ecology often have experience of walking, observation and collection in nature and have recognized such variation in their youth. Our members are interested in investigating such geographical variation of life history characteristics, morphology and also genetic differentiation.
Life cycles and dynamics of population
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Animals are born, grow up, breed, produce offspring and then die. Doing all of these occupies all of their life. However, many individuals die without accomplishing a life cycle. Some may die before emergence from eggs, some die of disease or predation in youth, some die while fighting with rivals, and others may fail to breed. Animals struggle to survive and escape from many adverse environmental factors such as pathogens, predators and lethal inorganic conditions, and try to breed successfully. Many characteristics have developed to solve the problems. Our members are interested in searching for undiscovered phenomena and evolutionary solutions developed by animals.
Recent Publications
  1. Matsuo, Y. (2006) Cost of prolonged diapause and its relationship to body size. Functional Ecology (In press).
  2. Matsuo, Y. (2005) Extreme eye projection in the male weevil Exechesops leucopis (Coleoptera: Anthribidae): its effect on intrasexual behavioral interferences. Journal of Insect Behavior 18: 465-477.
  3. Suzuki, T. (2005) Insemination of workers prior to assuming the position of queen in a temperate paper wasp Polistes snelleni Saussure (Hymenoptera Vespidae). Ethology Ecology Evolution 17:335-33
  4. Suzuki, T. and Morioka,H. (2005) Distribution and extinction of the Ogasawara Islands Honeyeater Apalopteron familiare on Chichijima, Ogasawara Islands. J. Yamashina Inst. Ornithol. 37:45-49.
  5. Kusano, T., Sakai, A. and Hatanaka, S. (2005) Ecological functions of the foam nests of the Japanese treefrog, Rhacophorus arboreus (Amphibia, Rhacophoridae). Herpetol. J. 15: (in press)
  6. Kusano, T., A. Sakai, and Hatanaka, S. (2005) Natural egg mortality and clutch size of the Japanese treefrog, Rhacophorus arboreus (Amphibia, Rhacophoridae). Current Herpetology 24(2): 79-84.
  7. Hayashi, F. & Tsuchiya, K. (2005) Functional association between female sperm storage organs and male sperm removal organs in calopterygid damselflies. Entomological Science 8: 245-252.
  8. Hayashi, F., Dobata, S. & Futahashi, R. (2005) Disturbed population genetics: suspected introgressive hybridization between two Mnais damselfly species (Odonata). Zoological Science 22: 869-881.
  9. Hayashi, F. & Ichiyanagi, H. (2005) Density dependent shifts in attachment site by the ectosymbiotic chironomid Nanocladius asiaticus on its megalopteran host Protohermes grandis. Ent. Sci. 8: 253-261.
  10. Kato, Y. and Suzuki, T. (2005) Introduced animals in the diet of the Ogasawara buzzard, an endemic insular raptor in the Pacific Ocean. J. Raptor Res.39:173-179.
  11. Matsumura, K., Kamiya, K., Yamashita, K., Hayashi, F., Watanabe, I. Murao, Y., Miyasaka, H., Kamimura, N. and Nogami, M. (2005) Genetic polymorphism of the adult medusae invading electric power station and wild polyps of Aurelia aurita in Wakasa Bay. Japan. Journal of the Marine Biological Association 85: (in press).
  12. Futahashi, R. & Hayashi, F. (2004) DNA analysis of hybrids between Sympetrum eroticum Tombo 47: 31-36.
  13. Matsuo, Y. (2004) Diel activity periodicity of Exechesops leucopis (Coleoptera: Anthribidae) monitored by actography using infrared beams. Natural Environmental Science Research 17: 59-6.
  14. Hayashi, F., Dobata, S. and Futahashi, R. (2004) Macro- and microscale distribution patterns of two closely related Japanese Mnais damselflies (Odonata: Calopterygidae) inferred from nuclear ribosomal ITS sequences and morphology. Odonatologica 33: 399-412.
  15. Hayashi, F. and Yong, H.S. (2004) Introduction to the aquatic insects. In: Yule, C. (Ed.) Aquatic Invertebrates in Malaysia.
  16. Kamimura, Y. (2004) Mating behaviour and insemination in Diplatys flavicollis, an earwig with double-barreled penises and a variable number of female sperm-storage organs. Journal of Zoology 262: 37-46.
  17. Suzuki, T. (2003) Queen replacement without gerontocracy in the paper wasp Parapolybia indica in temperate Japan. Ethology Ecology Evolution 15: 191-196.
  18. Hayashi, F. and Suzuki, H. (2003) Fireflies with or without prespermatophores: Evolutionary origins　and life-history consequences. Entomological Science 6: 3-10.
  19. Abe, J., Kamimura, Y.， Ito, H.， Matsuda，H. and Shimada，M. (2003) Local mate competition with lethal male combat: effects of competitive asymmetry and information availability on a sex ratio game. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 16: 607-613.
  20. Kamimura, Y. (2003) Effects of broken male intromittent organs on the sperm storage capacity of　female earwigs, Euborellia plebeja. Journal of Ethology 21: 29-35.
  21. Kamimura, Y. (2003) Effects of repeated mating and polyandry on the fecundity, fertility, and　maternal behaviour of female earwigs, Euborellia plebeja. Animal Behaviour 65: 205-214.
  22. Hayashi, F. and Suzuki, H. (2003) Fireflies with or without prespermatophores: Evolutionary origins　and life-history consequences. Entomological Science 6: 3-10.
  23. Kamimura, Y. (2003) Effects of broken male intromittent organs on the sperm storage capacity of　female earwigs, Euborellia plebeja. Journal of Ethology 21: 29-35.
  24. Kamimura, Y. (2003) Effects of repeated mating and polyandry on the fecundity, fertility, and　maternal behaviour of female earwigs, Euborellia plebeja. Animal Behaviour 65: 205-214.
  25. Abe, J., Kamimura, Y., Kondo, N. and Shimada, M. (2003) Extremely female biased sex ratio and letha　male-male combat in a parasitoid wasp Melittobia australica. Behavioral Ecology 14: 34-39.
TOKYO METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY