RUI: Comparison of Mechanisms of Sociality in Solitary Rodents

有关邻居识别的信息是理解社会单位内发生的行为交互的基础。 然而，大多数关于熟悉度在哺乳动物社会组织中的作用的研究都是针对社会性哺乳动物进行的。 尽管大多数哺乳动物一生中的大部分时间都是独居个体，但人们很少关注独居物种。 兰德尔博士的研究将探讨熟悉度在两种孤独的沙漠啮齿动物的社会组织中的间距、配偶选择和亲属识别中的作用：旗尾袋鼠（-Dipodomys spectabilis -）和梅里亚姆袋鼠（-D. merriami -）。 已知年龄、性别和关系的动物将在现场的大型便携式围栏中配对，它们的相互作用将被记录和比较。 兰德尔博士还将用无线电发射器跟踪动物，以确定它们在交配前和交配期间的间距关系，并将继续详细观察这两个物种的交配行为。 此外，实验室还计划进行多项研究，以检验袋鼠鼠是否能够通过气味标记过程中沉积的气味来识别彼此。 从该项目中获得的信息应有助于促进对哺乳动物群落中社会性发展的步骤的基本理解。

Information about neighbor recognition is basic to an understanding of the behavioral interactions that occur within a social unit. Most studies on the role of familiarity in mammalian social organizations, however, have been done on social mammals. Little attention has been given to solitary species, although most mammals live as solitary individuals during most of their lives. Dr. Randall's research will examine the role of familiarity in spacing, mate selection, and kin recognition in the social organization of two species of solitary, desert rodent: the bannertail (-Dipodomys spectabilis-) and Merriam's (-D. merriami-) kangaroo rat. Animals of known age, sex, and relationships will be paired in a large portable enclosure in the field, and their interactions will be documented and compared. Dr. Randall will also track animals with radio-transmitters to determine their spacing relationships before and during mating, and will continue detailed observations of both species' mating behavior. In addition, a number of studies in the laboratory are planned to examine whether the kangaroo rats could recognize each other from odors deposited during scent-marking. The information obtained from this project should help in promoting a basic understanding of the steps that lead to the development of sociality as it has evolved in mammalian communities.