Field Study of Mammalian Behavioral Development

9309805 Holekamp博士Holekamp和Smale将继续他们对自由生活的斑点鬣狗行为发展的实地研究。他们的目标是(1)开始研究该物种在青春期和成年繁殖周期中攻击性行为和性行为的激素相关性，以及(2)评估社会地位对生殖的影响。被研究的动物是肯尼亚马赛马拉国家保护区一个大型鬣狗家族的成员。所有氏族成员的年龄、性别、亲属关系和社会地位都是已知的，目前种群中所有幼崽和亚成虫的详细社会历史都是已知的。通过观察研究、无线电遥测和实验室分析，研究动物产生的各种生物体液中的激素水平。Holekamp和Smale将收集青春期和成年动物的纵向行为和激素数据。内分泌和行为数据将一起用于检验关于社会地位影响生殖表现的机制的假设。在开始对生殖进行研究的同时，观察和遥测数据收集也将继续与了解雄性的分散和两性的繁殖成功密切相关。这个研究项目将在至少四个方面产生有用的信息：它将(1)有助于阐明食肉动物的生殖生物学，(2)提供动物在经历其自然栖息地的全部复杂性时的行为发育和生殖内分泌学的详细数据，(3)增强对雌性哺乳动物激素与攻击行为之间关系的理解，以及(4)提供有价值的比较数据，揭示生理，发育，功能，系统发育因素相互作用，形成哺乳动物的社会行为。

9309805 Holekamp Drs. Holekamp and Smale will continue their field study of behavioral development in free- living spotted hyenas. Their goals are (1) to initiate study of the hormonal correlates of aggressive and sexual behaviors in this species as these change at puberty and during adult breeding cycles, and (2) to evaluate effects of social rank on reproduction. The animals being studied are members of one large hyena clan in the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. Age, sex, kin relations, and social status are known for all clan members, and detailed social histories are known for all cubs and subadults currently present in the population. Using observational study, radio telemetry, and laboratory analyses of hormone levels in various biological fluids produced by the study animals, Drs. Holekamp and Smale will collect longitudinal behavioral and hormonal data from both pubertal and adult animals. Endocrine and behavioral data will be used together to test hypotheses about mechanisms by which social rank influences reproductive performance. While the study of reproduction is being initiated, observational and telemetric data-collection will also continue germane to understanding both male dispersal and reproductive success in both sexes. This research project will generate useful information in at least four ways: It will (1) contribute importantly to elucidation of carnivore reproductive biology, (2) provide detailed data on behavioral development and reproductive endocrinology of animals experiencing the full complexity of their natural habitat, (3) enhance understanding of the relationship between hormones and aggressive behavior in female mammals, and (4) yield valuable comparative data revealing how physiological, developmental, functional, and phylogenetic factors interact to shape mammalian social behavior.