Dear Members of the Zoological Society of Japan
At the meeting of the Zoological Society of Japan Board of Directors held on Saturday, June 4 at 1:00 PM,
The Editorial Board of Zoological Science has nominated the papers for the 2022 Zoological Science Award.
As a result of deliberation, the Council of the Zoological Society of Japan has decided to present the Zoological Science Award to the following five papers.
The authors of the paper will be presented with a certificate and a cash prize of 50,000 yen.
Zoological Science Award 2022
Analysis of the Mitochondrial Genomes of Japanese Wolf Specimens in the Siebold Collection, Leiden
Shuichi Matsumura, Yohey Terai, Hitomi Hongo, Naotaka Ishiguro
Zoological Science 38(1): 60-66.
Field Genetics
In this paper, phylogenetic analyses were conducted using mitochondrial DNA sequences as an indicator on three specimens labeled as Japanese wolves housed in the National Museum of World Cultures (Leiden), along with other Japanese wolf specimens. As a result, it was revealed that the relatively small individual, which had been a mystery among the housed specimens, was actually a dog rather than a wolf. Furthermore, it was revealed that the Japanese wolf can be broadly divided into two lineages. This study makes commendable progress in organizing the confused taxonomic descriptions of the Japanese wolf using ancient DNA of an extinct species.
Developmental Process of a Heterozooid: Avicularium Formation in a Bryozoan, Bugulina californica
Haruka Yamaguchi, Masato Hirose, Mayuko Nakamura, Sumio Udagawa, Kohei Oguchi, Junpei Shinji, Hisanori Kohtsuka, Toru Miura
Zoological Science 38(3): 203-212.
Field: Diversity and Evolution
This paper meticulously traces the developmental process of heterozooids (avicularia) in colonial bryozoans. Although previous morphological description papers on various bryozoan species suggested that avicularia are transformed from normal autozooids, descriptions of their developmental process have been virtually nonexistent. Focusing on Bugula neritina, which possesses adventitious avicularia (where an avicularium is attached to each autozooid), this paper provides a detailed morphological and histological observation of the formation process of avicularia. This research provides important insights for elucidating the polymorphism and understanding the evolution of colonial animals.
Programmed Scale Detachment in the Wing of the Pellucid Hawk Moth, Cephonodes hylas: Novel Scale Morphology, Scale Detachment Mechanism, and Wing Transparency
Akihiro Yoshida, Yoshiomi Kato, Hironobu Takahashi, Ryuji Kodama
Zoological Science 38(5), 427-435.
Field: Physiology
The hummingbird hawk-moth is a species of hawkmoth that mimics bees and has exceptionally transparent wings. When the adults emerge, their wings are covered in dense scales like those of other lepidopteran insects, but as they flap their wings, the golden-shining scales fall off, making most of the wings transparent. This paper observes in detail the process of the scales falling off via video and reveals that the scales that fall off in this species possess several morphological characteristics distinct from those that remain attached, with a tapered stalk being the primary reason they detach during flight. This is an outstanding study that meticulously elucidates the characteristic properties of an animal.
Dynamics of Spermatogenesis and Change in Testicular Morphology under ‘Mating’ and ‘Non-Mating’ Conditions in Medaka (Oryzias latipes)
Ruka Sumita, Toshiya Nishimura, Minoru Tanaka
Zoological Science 38(5), 436-443.
Reproductive Biology
This paper demonstrates that medaka spermatogenesis dynamics differ depending on the presence or absence of a female partner, accompanied by changes in testicular morphology. It was also revealed that under non-mating behavior conditions, germ cell cysts and mitotic activity decrease compared to mating behavior conditions, while the time from post-meiosis to mature spermatozoa remains unchanged, and the morphologies of the lobules and vas deferens differ. The report that spermatogenesis is regulated by environmental and behavioral factors, such as the presence or absence of a mating partner, is a highly commendable study that presents new possibilities for the linkage between environment/behavior and physiology in animals, extending beyond the reproductive biology of medaka.
Evaluation of Visual and Tactile Perception by Plain-Body Octopus (Callistoctopus aspilosomatis) of Prey-Like Objects
Sumire Kawashima, Yuzuru Ikeda
Zoological Science 38(6): 495-505.
Behavioral Biology
This paper uses the octopus, a cephalopod with a particularly developed brain among mollusks, to behaviorally investigate the sensory modality priority and the effects of multiple modalities used by animals during object recognition. Through behavioral experiments, it demonstrated that the Larger Pacific striped octopus, which inhabits tropical coasts, uses both vision and touch to recognize crab prey. Furthermore, by using multiple patterns of models, the study suggests that this species recognizes prey by combining vision and touch, and that vision is more efficient than touch for prey recognition. Not only does this contribute to behavioral biology, but it is also an important achievement that can be used as a useful experimental system for exploring mollusk intelligence in the future.
Public Interest Incorporated Foundation, Zoological Society of Japan
