LAB LOGA page on LabLog, a review site (not the lab's official page)
Evolutionary Anthropology Lab
Machine-translated · View original
The lab explores the evolution of human social behavior and culture using mathematical models.
AboutAbout the lab
Exploring the evolution of what makes us human through mathematics
The Evolutionary Anthropology Lab studies the evolution of human behavior from both theoretical and empirical perspectives.
It asks why human behavior differs so greatly from that of other animals, and how natural selection has shaped human behavior.
Using methods from mathematical biology and computational approaches, the lab investigates the evolution of social behavior and cultural evolution.
Key terms
- Natural selection
- A mechanism by which the traits of organisms change over generations because of differences in survival and reproductive success
- Cultural evolution
- An approach that views the process by which culture, such as language, customs, and songs, changes as it is passed from person to person as a form of evolution
- Mathematical model
- A representation of how a phenomenon works in the form of equations. By changing conditions and running calculations, researchers examine what happens
- Bayesian phylogenetic inference
- A method that uses data and probability calculations to estimate phylogenetic relationships, that is, which groups diverged from which ancestors
NewsLab news
Encyclopedia of Anthropology, with a contribution from Associate Professor Ihara, has been published
Environmental Adaptation in the History of Homo sapiens, co-written by Associate Professor Ihara and students, has been published
Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior and Mind, with a contribution from Associate Professor Ihara, has been published
Cognitive Science of Religion, with a contribution from a student, has been published
ResearchResearch themes
The lab studies how humans have acquired what makes them human, using mathematical models and computational methods. It currently works on the evolution of social behavior and cultural evolution.
*Illustrative imageEvolution of attribute-dependent social norms
The lab uses mathematical models to study how social norms that demand different behaviors depending on attributes such as gender or ethnicity arise and persist. The results also suggest that the socioeconomic environment can leave an influence on norms even after conditions have changed.
*Illustrative imageAnimal coalitions and human evolution
Using a simple three-player game model of coalitions, in which some individuals team up against a third party, the lab has explained the diversity of coalitions seen in animals. It also provides theoretical support for the hypothesis that coalitions promoted the reduction of aggression in humans.
*Illustrative imagePhylogeny of dialect accents
The lab modeled the process by which the accent systems of Japanese dialects change over time and incorporated it into Bayesian phylogenetic inference. Using data on present-day and older dialects, it investigates the phylogenetic relationships among dialects and the locations of their ancestral dialects.
*Illustrative imageHow folk songs spread in the Ryukyus
The lab analyzes musical scores of folk songs from the Ryukyu Islands to study how songs have been transmitted between islands and regions. The results showed that work songs are transmitted differently from children's songs and ritual songs.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Evolutionary Anthropology Lab are faculty, graduate students, and visiting researchers.As of 2026
- Associate ProfessorYasuo IharaPublications ↗
VoicesStudent voices
Ratings and reviews reflect the experiences of individual current or former students, not the lab's official views. Whether a lab has reviews, or how many, says nothing about the lab itself.
Students who take part in an interview may receive a thank-you gift worth ¥1,000, regardless of what they say.
Student ratings (0 students)
--
--
--
--
--
--
Student voices answer questions like these
- What's great about this lab?
- What did you learn after joining?
- What's the vibe, and what is the professor like?
- Who is this lab for?
- Where do graduates go?
Your experience can help younger students choose their lab. Your name won't be shown.
Write a lab reviewAnonymous · Your draft is saved if you stopRelatedLabs similar to Evolutionary Anthropology Lab
Human Evolutionary Biomechanics Lab (Ogihara Lab)Faculty of Science, Department of Biological SciencesExploring the evolution of human body structure and motor fu…
Human Genome Diversity LabFaculty of Science, Department of Biological SciencesElucidating human evolutionary history from human genome div…
Plant Evolutionary Ecology LabFaculty of Science, Department of Biological SciencesMolecular-level elucidation of plant diversity; reconstructi…
Physical Anthropology LabFaculty of Science, Department of Biological SciencesHuman evolution and the variation and adaptation of human po…The information on this page is compiled by the LabLog team from the lab's public information and interviews. For corrections or removal requests, please contact LabLog, not the lab.
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: “Two chimpanzees grooming - DPLA - 3ec8c7eabe0f423d51184e06ee0f98ae” Garst, Warren, , photographer / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Evolution of attribute-dependent social norms: “Farmer plows his field with oxen at Cuba-Vinales” Bodow / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Animal coalitions and human evolution: “Young Male Lions, Maasai Mara ( )” Ray in Manila / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Phylogeny of dialect accents: “Japanese pitch accent map” Henlly, based on ja:画像:Japan pref-16c.png / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- How folk songs spread in the Ryukyus: “Sanshin” TimDuncan / CC BY 2.5 (cropped)
- Related lab (人類進化生体力学研究室(荻原研究室)): “Biomechanics lab with force plate” Apfriesen / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (ヒトゲノム
多様性研究室): “Japan (MODIS )” Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC / Public domain (cropped) - Related lab (植物進化生態学研究室): “P1000491 Petunia axillaris (Solanaceae) Flower” Magnus Manske / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (形態人類学研究室): “Shanidar Cave5” Khoshhat / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
About LabLog
LabLog is a lab review app for students only. Student members at each university interview students in labs and publish what they say. Student voices can only be read by students who sign up with a university email address. Operated by bestiee Inc.
Learn more about LabLog ↗Search engines and AI may reference the basic lab info and rating summaries on this page and the description of LabLog. Student voices are for student members only. Automated collection by programs (scraping, or input to or training of AI) is prohibited under Article 8 of the Terms of Service. If you need data for research or analysis, please contact us.