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Biological Anthropology Lab
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The lab reconstructs the lifeways of humans and primates from molecules preserved in bones, teeth, and hair.
AboutAbout the lab
Tracing the lifeways of many different kinds of "us."
The Physical Anthropology Lab (Biological Anthropology Lab) reconstructs and describes the lifeways and life histories of many different kinds of "us," including past humans and extant great apes.
The lab aims to clarify how differences in culture and the natural environment affect lifeways, and how differences between individual lifeways connect to evolution and society.
It applies stable isotope analysis, which can reconstruct the history of diet and of breastfeeding and weaning, and proteomic analysis, which can estimate physiological condition and more, to samples such as bones, teeth, feces, and hair.
In April 2026, the lab moved to the Institute for Advanced Study at Kyushu University, and Associate Professor Takumi Tsutaya also serves as a faculty member of the Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Global Society.
Key terms
- Stable isotope analysis
- An analysis that reconstructs diet, the history of breastfeeding and weaning, and the environment where an individual lived, from the proportions of isotopes in body tissues
- Proteomics
- An analysis that examines all the proteins in a sample together. It can estimate physiological condition and which organism or tissue the sample came from
- Paleome
- Research that applies omics technologies to remains from the past to directly study the evolutionary processes of organisms
NewsLab news
A graduate student's research was published in Anthropological Science
Joint research with Universiti Malaysia Sabah and others was published in Communications Biology
A graduate student received the Japanese Society of Anthropology's Masato Kawai Memorial Award for Anthropology and Archaeology Research Encouragement
Research co-authored by Associate Professor Tsutaya was published in the Journal of Archaeological Science
Research co-authored by Associate Professor Tsutaya was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
ResearchResearch themes
The lab applies physicochemical analysis to biological samples, mainly to study the lifeways of past humans, including Homo sapiens, and of extant primates. Its work crosses disciplinary boundaries, from fieldwork that includes taking part in excavations and wild animal surveys, to laboratory analysis, data analysis, and building mathematical models.
Bioarchaeology
The lab examines ancient human and animal bones from archaeological sites using stable isotope analysis, ancient proteomics, and ancient DNA analysis. This clarifies lifeways of past humans and animals, such as childbirth, childrearing, diet, and death.
Primate Ecology
The lab analyzes samples that can be obtained without harming the animals, such as the feces and hair of chimpanzees and orangutans. It uses them to study juvenile development, diet, and health, which are hard to see through behavioral observation.
Paleome Analysis
Focusing mainly on fossils of Pleistocene animals, the lab analyzes ancient proteomes and ancient genomes. It aims to understand more accurately the evolutionary processes followed by extinct animals and by their living descendants.
Mismatch Between Biology and Culture
The lab conducts research and discussion on the mismatch between the biological traits humans have acquired through evolution and modern society and culture, with particular attention to pregnancy, childbirth, and childrearing. Together with sociologists, it also studies the diversity of childrearing in contemporary Japan.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Physical Anthropology Lab consist of faculty, graduate students, research fellows, and visiting researchers.As of 2026
- Associate ProfessorTakumi Tsutaya
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