RUI: Comparison of Seismic Communication in Four Species ofDesert Rodents

9306688 Randall在世界各地的几个啮齿动物家族中，后脚撞击地面以产生机械振动的行为已经独立进化。虽然跺脚行为在来自北非和南非、中东、俄罗斯中部、亚洲和北美的沙漠啮齿动物中很常见，但只在美国西南部的旗尾袋鼠鼠中对其进行了详细的研究。兰德尔博士发现，旗尾发出的跺脚声是一种交流系统的一部分：这些老鼠创造出独特的跺脚声特征，用于在防御领土时识别邻居。她现在试图通过比较旗尾和三种来自不同地点和栖息地的袋鼠鼠，来理解跺脚作为交流的进化。新物种包括生活在开阔草原上的联邦濒危物种大袋鼠鼠，生活在沙丘上的沙漠袋鼠鼠，以及生活在岩石斜坡上的希尔曼袋鼠鼠。主要的兴趣将是在领土防御、资源和配偶竞争以及捕食者防御的背景下，按年龄、性别和个体对跺脚信号的种间比较。回放实验将测试物种、性别和个体对已识别的脚步声信号的识别能力。这是第一次在密切相关的物种中对脚鼓进行比较研究，因此将有助于对这种独特的交流系统如何进化的一般理解。这项研究的结果可以帮助我们理解为什么世界上沙漠中的许多啮齿动物都进化出了跺脚的行为。这项研究还将提供有关沙漠群落的宝贵信息，并有助于制定濒危袋鼠鼠物种的恢复计划。

9306688 Randall Striking the hind feet on the ground to create mechanical vibrations has evolved independently in several rodent families around the world. Although foot-drumming behavior is common in desert rodents from North and South Africa, Middle East, Central Russia, Asia, and North America, it has been studied in detail only in the Southwestern United States in the banner-tailed kangaroo rat. Dr. Randall has found that foot-drumming by the banner-tails is part of a communication system: the rats create individually distinct foot- drumming signatures that are used to identify neighbors during territorial defense. She now seeks to understand the evolution of foot-drumming as communication through comparing the banner-tails with three species of kangaroo rat from different locations and habitats. The new species include the giant kangaroo rat, a federally listed endangered species that lives in open grassland, the desert kangaroo rat, which lives in sand dunes, and the Heerman's kangaroo rat from rocky slopes. Of primary interest will be between-species comparisons by age, sex, and individual of the foot-drumming signal in the contexts of territorial defense, competition for resources and mates, and in predator defense. Playback experiments will test for species, sex and individual recognition of identified foot-drumming signals. This is the first comparative study of foot-drumming in closely related species, and as such will contribute to a general understanding of how this unique communication system evolved. Results of this study can help us understand why so many rodents in the world's deserts have evolved foot-drumming behavior. This research should also provide valuable information about desert communities and assist in development of recovery plans for endangered species of kangaroo rats.