At its board meeting on Saturday, June 7, the Zoological Society of Japan received candidate recommendations from the Narimote Animal Science Promotion Award Selection Committee. Following rigorous deliberation, it was decided to confer the 2014 Narimote Animal Science Promotion Award on Member Masaki Hoso of the Hakubi Center, Kyoto University.

Number of applications: 3

Narishige Animal Science Award Selection Committee for Fiscal Year 2014
Kiyokazu Agata, Yoshitaka Oka, Noriyuki Satoh, Yoshitaka Nagahama

Reason for winning

Masaki Hoso, Kyoto University Hakubi Center, Program-Specific Assistant Professor, 33 years old

Reasons for the Recommendation

Mr. HosokawaSatsumaGeographical distribution of dextral and sinistral forms of snails and snakes as predatorsPareascorrelation with the geographic distribution of ), the morphological characteristics of this snake's teeth,SatsumaWe investigated the geographical distribution and molecular phylogenetic relationships of the species, demonstrating that the left-handed (sinistral) morph, which should theoretically be disadvantageous as an original species, may have survived by gaining the advantage of escaping from predatory snakes. This is a novel finding regarding the coevolution of predators and prey centered on left-right asymmetry. It can be said to be an excellent study both from the perspective of originality and from the perspective of potential as an independent young researcher.