Fumihiro Kano

Fumihiro Kano is a comparative psychologist at the Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, and an Affiliated Scientist at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior. His research focuses on the evolutionary origins of social intelligence, using cutting-edge technologies like eye-tracking, motion-capture, and thermal imaging to study social cognition in great apes, monkeys, and birds.

• Education:PhD in Biological Sciences (Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University)
• Key Collaborations:Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Oxford, Kumamoto Sanctuary (Kyoto University)

Kano’s work spans comparative analysis of gaze behavior, emotional processing, and collective decision-making. He has developed wearable sensors for free-flying pigeons and non-invasive methods for studying primates in sanctuaries. His studies on the human eye’s uniformly white sclera have provided experimental support for the gaze signaling hypothesis.

Recent research integrates large-scale motion-capture systems with gaze-tracking to analyze interspecies interactions in pigeons, crows, and humans. He specializes in quantifying attention dynamics during collective behavior, including vigilance in birds and social cognition in apes.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Heidelberg Academy of Sciences Manfred Fuchs Preis (2023)
  • APA Division 6 Early Carrier Investigator Award (2020)
  • Japanese Psychological Association International Award (2018)

Kano leads interdisciplinary teams combining computer vision, psychology, and behavioral ecology. His work bridges evolutionary biology and technological innovation, with applications for understanding human uniqueness and animal cognition.