US-Sweden Cooperative Science: Origin of Polygyny in a Polyterritorial System

该奖项将支持鸟类的合作研究， 行为生态学与威廉·瑟西博士， 匹兹堡和阿恩伦德伯格博士，动物学系， 瑞典乌普萨拉大学。 建议的目标 研究是收集和分析关键领域 关于多领地和一夫多妻制的详细研究数据 霸鹟 研究人员建议检查的适应性基础 一夫多妻制在这个物种，其中一夫多妻制是密切 与单一的防御多个领土有关 男性（多领土）。 雌性斑姬姬蝇支付 如果他们选择一个已经交配的男性， 并没有得到更好的补偿 领土或配偶。 关于为什么雌性 然而，一夫多妻制是， 系统允许雄性欺骗雌性交配 status. 第二个假设是雌性选择配偶 尽管知道雄性的真实交配状态， 由于继续寻找一个 未交配的雄性 研究人员计划测试第一个 通过确定是否有可靠的假设 交配和未交配雄性之间的行为差异 在未交配的雌性观察它们的时候。 如果 这种差异存在，女性应该能够确定 雄性交配状态 第二个假设将通过以下方式进行检验： 决定最终与之交配的雌性 雄性之前遇到过未交配的雄性 两个测试 将通过以下的配偶搜索个别执行 有标记的雌性被迫寻找新的配偶 它们的前配偶和巢箱该项目将有利于 来自瑟西博士和 Lundberg博士的记录生产现场工作与此 物种 这项研究的结果将使一个重要的 对行为生态学领域的贡献。

This award will support collaborative research in avian behavioral ecology between Dr. William Searcy, University of Pittsburgh and Dr. Arne Lundberg, Department of Zoology, Uppsala University, Sweden. The objective of the proposed research is the collection and analysis of critical field data on the well-studied polyterritorial and polygynous pied flycatcher. The investigators propose to examine the adaptive basis of polygyny in this species, in which polygyny is closely associated with the defense of multiple territories by single males (polyterritoriality). Female pied flycatchers pay a fitness cost if they choose an already-mated male, and they are not compensated for this cost by receiving a better territory or mate. One current hypothesis on why females nevertheless do mate polygynously is that the polyterritorial system allows males to deceive females about their mating status. A second hypothesis is that females choose mated males despite being aware of the male's true mating status, because of the high cost of continuing to search for an unmated male. The investigators plan to test the first hypothesis by determining whether there are reliable differences in behavior between mated and unmated males during periods when unmated females are observing them. If such differences exist, females ought to be able to determine male mating status. The second hypothesis will be tested by determining whether females that ultimately settle with mated males have previously encountered unmated males. Both tests will be performed by following the mate search of individually marked females forced to search for new mates by the removal of their previous mate and nestbox. The project will benefit from the combined experimental expertise of Dr. Searcy and Dr. Lundberg's record of productive field work with this species. The results of this research will make an important contribution to the field of behavioral ecology.