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Soma Lab
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The lab explores the evolution of intelligence through birds' courtship and family relationships.
AboutAbout the lab
Why did "intelligence" evolve?
The Soma Lab focuses on bird family and social relationships to study why and how the high cognitive abilities that underlie behavior evolved.
The subjects are songbirds of the family Estrildidae (order Passeriformes), such as the Bengalese finch and the Java sparrow.
Although birds are phylogenetically distant from humans, they have features comparable to those of humans, such as parents raising their young, living in families, and acquiring vocalizations through social learning.
From the standpoint of behavioral ecology and comparative cognitive science, the lab considers the function and evolution of behavior, focusing on song, courtship, parent–offspring relationships, development, and life history.
Key terms
- Songbirds (oscine passerines)
- A group of passerine birds that sing complex songs. They acquire their songs by learning from their parents and others
- Comparative cognitive science
- A field that compares the thinking abilities and communication of humans and animals to study the origins and evolution of intelligence
- Maternal effect
- The influence of the mother's condition or her actions toward the eggs on the growth and traits of her offspring
NewsLab news
Book Buncho no Iibun. ("What Java Sparrows Have to Say"), supervised by Professor Soma, was published
Wakatteinai Koto Zukan 1 ("Illustrated Guide to the Unknown, Vol. 1"), with commentary by Professor Soma and others, was published
ResearchResearch themes
Focusing on bird family and social relationships, the lab investigates the function and adaptive significance of courtship and communication behavior. Through this, it aims to elucidate the evolution of the high cognitive abilities that underlie behavior.
*Illustrative imageIndividual differences in courtship displays
The lab examines individual differences in the courtship dances and songs of estrildid finches, and their function.
*Illustrative imageParent–offspring communication
The lab studies the function and adaptive significance of the visual and vocal communication exchanged between parents and offspring in birds that raise their young.
*Illustrative imageMaternal egg-laying and maternal effects
The lab examines the adaptive significance of a mother bird's egg-laying and breeding behavior, and of the influence a mother has on her offspring (maternal effects).
MembersFaculty
- ProfessorMasayo Soma
VoicesStudent voices
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Java Sparrow. (Lonchura oryzivora), ( )” Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand / CC0 (cropped)
- Individual differences in courtship displays: “Blue-capped cordonbleu (Uraeginthus cyanocephalus)” Hobbyfotowiki / CC0 (cropped)
- Parent–offspring communication: “Savannah Sparrow, Passerculus sandwichensis, nestlings begging in nest, baby birds; AB Canada” Kati Fleming / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Maternal egg-laying and maternal effects: “Brewer's sparrow nest and eggs ( )” Yellowstone National Park / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Takeuchi Lab): “Lepidiolamprologus nkambae LoroParqueTenerife cichlidae from nkambae IMG 5391” Bjoertvedt / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Hayakawa Lab): “013 Alpha male chimpanzee at Kibale forest National Park Photo by Giles Laurent” Giles Laurent / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Marine Station Lab (Nakaoka and Isada)): “Zostera marina - iNaturalist.org(1)” Brew, John / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Katsu Lab): “Callorhinchus milii Sunshine” Totti / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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