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Join us on The PrimateCast as we cover the 74th annual congress of the Japan Society for Animal Psychology.

The PrimateCast rolled out its mobile podcasting unit once again to cover the annual meetings of the Japan Society for Animal Psychology between July 19-21, 2014. The society's aims are to support a better understanding of human nature, particularly in the realm of cognition, through the lens of the animal mind; in other words, its members study the cognitive capacities of nonhuman animals to give clues about the evolution of our own considerable mental abilities.

This year's congress was held in Inuyama, hometown of the Kyoto University Primate Research Institute (KUPRI), and notably was conducted for the first time entirely in English. The president of the organizing committee this year was Dr. Tetsuro Matsuzawa of KUPRI, and there were an impressive number of speakers from around the world invited to participate and present at this event. As such, Andrew along with summer intern Sofi Bernstein decided to get on over there and talk with as many of these invitees as possible.

In this the first of five installments we hear from five presenters who spoke at the conference about topics ranging from "mental time travel" and "metacognition" to the idea of "metaphorical mapping". Speakers in this episode include Dr. Michael Beran, Ms. Emily Brown, Dr. Rob Hampton, Dr. Ikuma Adachi and Dr. Victoria Templer. For more information about these researchers and their work, please click on their institution names in the list below to follow links to their respective academic pages.

List of Interviews in part 1

Click one of the researcher names below to skip directly to that segment of the podcast.

• Introduction to the episode with Andrew and Sofi
• Dr. Michael Beran (mental time travel), Georgia State University
• Ms. Emily Brown (metacognition), Emory University
• Dr. Rob Hampton (metacognition), Emory University
• Dr. Ikuma Adachi (metaphorical mapping), Kyoto University
• Dr. Victoria Templer (metaphorical mapping), Providence College/Emory University
• Podcast wrap-up with Andrew and Sofi.

We'd like to sincerely thank all of our guests on this episode as well as on the entire series of podcasts from our coverage of the 74th annual congress of the Japan Society for Animal Psychology. Please do check out our other podcasts in this series, and make sure to browse our other podcast interviews with leading scientists in primatology and beyond.

This podcast series was produced with special assistance from summer intern Sofi Bernstein.

The PrimateCast is hosted and produced by Andrew MacIntosh. Artwork by Chris Martin. Music by Andre Goncalves.

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Hello everyone and welcome back to The PrimateCast! We're back at it with another interview installment to kick off, in rather tardy fashion, 2014...

To get things back on track, we've enlisted the help of CICASP graduate student Sofi Bernstein (see the announcement here), who's taken on a summer internship with us following the departure of Chris Martin, who has now left Japan to assume a position in the United States (more on that in an upcoming podcast).

To kick things off in summer 2014, we've gone back to the archives and dug up a few older interviews we managed to conduct in recent years. But don't worry, a few updates follow the interviews as well so we don't get left behind.

In the current podcast, we present an interview conducted in March 2012 with Dr. Miho Inoue-Murayama, Professor at the Wildlife Research Center of Kyoto University. 

Dr. Inoue-Murayama specializes in behavioral genetics, and has an extensive list of ongoing collaborative projects focused on understanding genetic diversity in nature and determining genetic markers for various behavioral phenotypes, including among other things personality. 

In this interview, she talks about a few of these projects, but we also got to hear from a pair of her international students at the time, now Dr. Sharif Ramadan of Egypt and Dr. Christopher Adenyo of Ghana. Their stories serve to illustrate how Dr. Inoue-Murayama's work not only offers ways forward in academic circles but also contains a strong applied component aimed at improving development efforts around the world.

You can find out more about Dr. Inoue-Murayama and her work, such as the DNA Zoo, on her academic profile.

The PrimateCast is hosted and produced by Andrew MacIntosh. Artwork by Chris Martin. Music by Andre Goncalves.

Here's what you can do to get in touch!

• Connect with us on Facebook, X, or Instagram
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• Email [email protected] with thoughts and comments

If you value the show, leave ratings and reviews wherever it is that you listen, and consider donating by clicking the "Support the Show" link above. 

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In this installment of The PrimateCast, we asked students of Kyoto University's Primate Research Institute to select their favorite moments from the first year and a half plus of the podcast. We then interviewed each student, asking them to tell us about their research interests, how they got into the field of primate research and why they made their respective podcast selections.

Student choices could be broadly broken down into conservation- and research-related interview segments, so we are presenting these episodes in a two-part series focusing on these concepts.

In Part II, we focus on research in primatological science.

In addition to learning a little bit about our students, you'll hear clips from past interviews with Frans de Waal, Bill McGrew, Josep Call,Dora Biro and Tetsuro Matsuzawa, discussing issues such as the comparative approach in science, defining scientific terms and then developing and testing hypotheses, building a successful research program with clear goals and objectives and even how to get started in science and putting yourself out there as a young researcher.

List of Interview Selections (audio clips)

• Chris and Andrew start off the show with Dr. Frans de Waal 
• Lira Yu selects Dr. Josep Call 
• Yena Kim and Sojung Han select Dr. Bill McGrew 
• Renata Mendonca selects Dr. Dora Biro 
• Heungjin Ryu selects Dr. Dora Biro 

Chris and Andrew wrap up the podcast with Dr. Tetsuro Matsuzawa.

You can hear the full interviews with our selected guests on The PrimateCast.

This podcast was produced by Andrew MacIntosh and Chris Martin, with technical support from Heungjin Ryu.

The PrimateCast is hosted and produced by Andrew MacIntosh. Artwork by Chris Martin. Music by Andre Goncalves.

Here's what you can do to get in touch!

• Connect with us on Facebook, X, or Instagram
• Subscribe where you get your podcasts
• Email [email protected] with thoughts and comments

If you value the show, leave ratings and reviews wherever it is that you listen, and consider donating by clicking the "Support the Show" link above. 

Thanks for being part of The PrimateCast Community!

Send us Fan Mail

In this installment of The PrimateCast, we asked students of Kyoto University's Primate Research Institute to select their favorite moments from the first year and a half plus of the podcast. We then interviewed each student, asking them to tell us about their research interests, how they got into the field of primate research and why they made their respective podcast selections.

Student choices could be broadly broken down into conservation- and research-related interview segments, so we are presenting these episodes in a two-part series focusing on these concepts.

In Part I, we focus on conservation-related issues surrounding wild primates.

In addition to learning a little bit about our students, you'll hear clips from past interviews with Jane Goodall, Steve Ross, Tomoaki Nishihara and Janet Nackoney, discussing issues such as the need for young researchers to engage in conservation initiatives, public perceptions of wild chimpanzee conservation status, dealing with civil unrest and war in source countries and the importance of capacity building and involving local communities in conservation and research activities.

List of Interview Selections (audio clips)

• Chris and Andrew select Dr. Jane Goodall 
• Lucie Rigaill selects Dr. Tomoaki Nishihara 
• Hikaru Wakamori selects Dr. Steve Ross 
• Sayuri Takeshita selects Dr. Janet Nackoney 
• Saeko Terada selects Dr. Janet Nackoney 

Chris and Andrew wrap up the podcast with more from Dr. Jane Goodall.

You can hear the full interviews with our selected guests on The PrimateCast.

This podcast was produced by Andrew MacIntosh and Chris Martin, with technical support from Heungjin Ryu.

The PrimateCast is hosted and produced by Andrew MacIntosh. Artwork by Chris Martin. Music by Andre Goncalves.

Here's what you can do to get in touch!

• Connect with us on Facebook, X, or Instagram
• Subscribe where you get your podcasts
• Email [email protected] with thoughts and comments

If you value the show, leave ratings and reviews wherever it is that you listen, and consider donating by clicking the "Support the Show" link above. 

Thanks for being part of The PrimateCast Community!

Send us Fan Mail

In November of 2012, we sat down with Dr. Janet Nackoney, Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Geographical Sciences at the University of Maryland. Check out the interview on this installment of The PrimateCast.

During October and November 2012, Dr. Takeshi Furuichi held a workshop for African primate researchers and conservationists at the Kyoto University Primate Research Institute sponsored financially by the Asia-Africa Platform of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

Dr. Nackoney, an expert in Geographical Information Systems (GIS), was invited to give a mini workshop on geospatial mapping and modeling using GIS.

In the interview, Dr. Nackoney explains her long-term work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as it falls along two major lines: habitat suitability modeling for endangered species and conservation-based land use planning to promote responsible practices in natural resource utilization among local human populations.

We discuss topics such as the critical role of GIS in making informed decisions about habitat that should be prioritized for protection to conserve endangered species such as bonobos and forest elephants and the importance of capacity building and participatory mapping as ways to encourage local inhabitants to get on board with important conservation efforts.

You can find out more about Dr. Nackoney and her work on her university profile.

The PrimateCast is hosted and produced by Andrew MacIntosh. Artwork by Chris Martin. Music by Andre Goncalves.

Here's what you can do to get in touch!

• Connect with us on Facebook, X, or Instagram
• Subscribe where you get your podcasts
• Email [email protected] with thoughts and comments

If you value the show, leave ratings and reviews wherever it is that you listen, and consider donating by clicking the "Support the Show" link above. 

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In November of 2012, we sat down with Dr. Lisa Jones-Engel, Senior Research Scientist at the Washington National Primate Research Center and lecturer at the University of Washington.

Dr. Jones-Engel is a primatologist who has worked for the better part of her career at bio-medical research centers in the United States.

In the interview, in addition to speaking about how being based at such centers has benefited her field-based work, Dr. Jones-Engel discusses her research into bi-directional disease transmission between human and non-human primates, the importance of targeting Asia for such research pursuits, and the important role that primatologists can play in the ever-expanding field of emerging infectious diseases.

You can find out more about Dr. Jones-Engel and her efforts to increase awareness about issues that arise from increasing human and non-human primate commensalism at the homepage of Team Monkey.

The PrimateCast is hosted and produced by Andrew MacIntosh. Artwork by Chris Martin. Music by Andre Goncalves.

Here's what you can do to get in touch!

• Connect with us on Facebook, X, or Instagram
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If you value the show, leave ratings and reviews wherever it is that you listen, and consider donating by clicking the "Support the Show" link above. 

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On May 19th, 2013, we spoke with Dr. Steve Ross, Director of the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes at the Regenstein Center for African Apes of Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo.

We chatted with Dr. Ross about his work enriching the lives of chimpanzees in the USA through Lincoln Park Zoo's innovative and integrative programs, as well as his center's involvement in the conservation of chimpanzees in Africa.

In this podcast, you'll hear Dr. Ross discuss animal welfare issues surrounding captive chimpanzees in zoos, laboratories, and privately-owned facilities, the influence of popularization and media on public perception of their conservation status, and what he's been doing to elevate standards of care for these endangered animals, our closest living relatives.

From Lincoln Park Zoo's leading efforts to bridge research, conservation and welfare issues into a single working model, through the establishment of Project ChimpCARE, to his role in a recent committee's recommendation to cease use of chimpanzees in NIH-funded biomedical research and improve living conditions for chimpanzees nationwide, you can find it all here on this edition of The PrimateCast.

Find out more about Dr. Ross and his work on his profile at Lincoln Park Zoo.

The PrimateCast is hosted and produced by Andrew MacIntosh. Artwork by Chris Martin. Music by Andre Goncalves.

Here's what you can do to get in touch!

• Connect with us on Facebook, X, or Instagram
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• Email [email protected] with thoughts and comments

If you value the show, leave ratings and reviews wherever it is that you listen, and consider donating by clicking the "Support the Show" link above. 

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In this installment of The PrimateCast, Andrew and special guest host Dr. David Hill of CICASP sit down with Dr. Tomoaki Nishihara, Senior Technical Adviser of Operations and Protection with the Wildlife Conservation Society in Congo-Brazzaville. This interview was conducted in April 2012.

We chatted with Dr. Nishihara about his work in the conservation of wildlife in Central Africa, from his efforts to curb the continued demand for forest elephant ivory in Japan, through his experiences during the civil war in the Republic of Congo between 1997 and 1999, to his role in the establishment of a conservation presence in various Central African nations.

In 2012, Dr. Nishihara published a Japanese translation of the book "Hidden Giants: The Forest Elephants of the Congo Basin" (originally by Stephen Blake and published by the Wildlife Conservation Society in 2006) to alert the Japanese population of the plight of these endangered animals.

Find out more about Dr. Nishihara's work at the homepage of WCS Congo.

The PrimateCast is hosted and produced by Andrew MacIntosh. Artwork by Chris Martin. Music by Andre Goncalves.

Here's what you can do to get in touch!

• Connect with us on Facebook, X, or Instagram
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• Email [email protected] with thoughts and comments

If you value the show, leave ratings and reviews wherever it is that you listen, and consider donating by clicking the "Support the Show" link above. 

Thanks for being part of The PrimateCast Community!

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In the fifth installment of our podcast series from the conference on the Evolutionary Origins of the Human Mind at the International Institute for Advanced Studies (IIAS), we spoke with Dr. Crickette Sanz, Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis.

We chatted with Dr. Sanz about her work, both in research and in conservation, with chimpanzees of the Goualogo Triangle, Republic of Congo.

Topics of this podcast include the use of technology in field primatology, complex tool traditions, and unique aspects of the culture and conservation status of chimpanzees and other primates in Central Africa.

Find out more about Dr. Sanz and her work on her profile at Washington University and at the Goualogo Triangle Ape Project.

The PrimateCast is hosted and produced by Andrew MacIntosh. Artwork by Chris Martin. Music by Andre Goncalves.

Here's what you can do to get in touch!

• Connect with us on Facebook, X, or Instagram
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• Email [email protected] with thoughts and comments

If you value the show, leave ratings and reviews wherever it is that you listen, and consider donating by clicking the "Support the Show" link above. 

Thanks for being part of The PrimateCast Community!

Send us Fan Mail

In the fourth installment of our podcast series from the conference on the Evolutionary Origins of the Human Mind at the International Institute for Advanced Studies (IIAS), we spoke with Dr. Dora Biro, Royal Society University Research Fellow, and soon to become tenured member of faculty, in the Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford.

We chatted with Dr. Biro about her exceptional work with cognition, social information use and cultural transmission of knowledge in chimpanzees, in both the laboratory and in the wild, as well as her studies of information flow and collective decision-making in flocks of homing pigeons.

Find out more about Dr. Biro and her work on her profile at the University of Oxford.

The PrimateCast is hosted and produced by Andrew MacIntosh. Artwork by Chris Martin. Music by Andre Goncalves.

Here's what you can do to get in touch!

• Connect with us on Facebook, X, or Instagram
• Subscribe where you get your podcasts
• Email [email protected] with thoughts and comments

If you value the show, leave ratings and reviews wherever it is that you listen, and consider donating by clicking the "Support the Show" link above. 

Thanks for being part of The PrimateCast Community!