REU: Ecology and Evolution of Social Behavior

这个项目试图通过关注一种在美国西部常见的鸟类来了解社会行为的生态学基础，这种鸟有一个非常不寻常的社会组织--橡子啄木鸟。该物种生活在最多15个个体的家庭群体中，无论性别和年龄；一个群体中的所有鸟类都分享保卫领土和饲养幼鸟的责任。研究种群由大约120只鸟组成，其中大部分都有单独的颜色标记，自1971年以来一直在持续进行。因此，该项目提供了一个独特的机会，可以获得关于群居的长期人口后果的基本数据。它还允许调查该物种对群体生活的一些具体适应，以及他们不寻常的社会组织的优势和劣势。尤其是，凯尼格博士将探索利用时间-活动预算进行群体生活的后果、减少孵化的机制，以及发声行为在群体融合中的作用。作为该项目的一部分，基础研究所获得的数据将为理解社会行为的演变提供新的信息。特别是，它将揭示更多关于群体生活和利他主义行为的短期和长期后果，其中许多都是这个物种所表现出来的。

This project seeks to understand the ecological basis of social behavior by focusing on a species of bird common in the Western United States with an extremely unusual social organization, the Acorn Woodpecker. This species lives in family groups of up to 15 individuals of both sexes and all ages; all birds in a group share in defending the territory and raising young. The study population consists of about 120 birds, the majority of which are individually color-marked, and has been going on continuously since 1971. Thus, the project allows the unique opportunity to obtain basic data on long-term demographic consequences of group living. It also allows an investigation of some of the specific adaptations to group living shown by this species as well as the advantages and disadvantages of their unusual social organization. In particular, Dr. Koenig will be exploring the consequences of group living using time-activity budgets, the mechanisms of brood reduction, and the role of vocal behavior in group integration. Data acquired by the basic research being done as part of this project will provide new information toward the understanding of the evolution of social behavior. In particular, it will uncover more about both the short-term and long-term consequences of group living and of altruistic behaviors, many of which are shown by this species.