Ecological Factors and Behavioral Mechanisms Underlying Selection

摘要SIH 9514142将采用实地调查和半自然条件下的实验相结合的方法，研究在存在性别冲突的系统中交配行为的生态决定因素和选择后果。所研究的焦点系统是一种半水栖昆虫，溪水蜘蛛，水瓶座。这一物种表现出非常明显的雌雄冲突：雄性不断地试图与雌性交配，而雌性几乎总是抵制雄性交配尝试。以前的实验工作表明，各种生物、生态因素(捕食风险、食物可获得性、密度、性别比)对交配模式(交配活动、交配频率、交配持续时间、大小的非随机交配)有重大影响，这些影响在很大程度上取决于这些因素对雌性抵抗雄性交配尝试的模式的影响(即在雌雄冲突中对雌性行为的影响)。拟议的研究从三个方面扩展了现有的知识：1.这项研究将使我们更加全面地了解生态条件(包括生物和非生物)的时空变化如何影响交配动态和性选择的整体模式的变化。2.这项研究将提供一个罕见的例子，对基于已知行为机制(在这种情况下，是男女冲突)的性选择变异预测以及生态条件对这些行为的影响进行实验测试。3.自然界中选择的研究将在半自然条件下行为的机械性实验研究和这些行为机制在自然界中的影响之间提供一座桥梁。总而言之，1)性选择的模式(由现代统计学方法量化)将通过使用作为性选择基础的行为(男性-女性冲突)的信息来机械地解释，2)男性和女性的行为a(从而性选择的模式)将被理解为对生物和非生物生态条件下的变化的灵活反应。总体而言，来自三个令人兴奋的领域(男女冲突、性选择和自然选择的定量研究以及交配系统的生态)的概念和信息的整合应该会增加我们在这三个领域的知识的重要洞察力，从而增加我们对生殖行为的总体理解。

Abstract Sih 9514142 A blend of field surveys and experiments in semi-natural conditions will be used to examine the ecological determinants and selective consequences of mating behavior in a system with male-female sexual conflict. The focal system studied is a semi-aquatic insect, the stream water strider, Aquarius remigis. This species shows very clear male-female conflict: males continually attempt to mate with females, while females almost always resist male mating attempts. Previous experimental work showed that various biotic, ecological factors (predation risk, food availability, density, sex ratio) have major impacts on mating patterns (mating activity, mating frequency, mating duration, non-random mating by size) and that these effects depend largely on the influence of these factors on patterns of female resistance to male mating attempts (i.e., on female behavior in the male-female conflict). The proposed studies expand on current knowledge in three ways: 1. This study will move us significantly closer to a full understanding of how spatial and temporal variation in ecological conditions (both biotic and abiotic) influence both variation in mating dynamics and overall patterns of sexual selection. 2. This study will provide a rare instance of an experimental test of predictions on variation in sexual selection based on known behavioral mechanisms (in this case, male-female conflict) and the effects of ecological conditions on these behaviors. 3. Studies of selection in nature will provide a bridge between mechanistic experimental studies of behavior in semi- natural conditions and effects of these behavioral mechanisms in nature. In sum, 1) patterns of sexual selection (as quantified by modern statistical methods) will be explained mechanistically by using information on behaviors (male- female conflict) that underlie sexual selection, and 2) male and female behavior a(and thus patterns of sexual selection), in turn, will be understood as flexible responses to variation in both biotic and abiotic, ecological conditions. Overall, the integration of concepts and information from three exciting fields (male-female conflict, quantitative studies of sexual and natural selection, and ecology of mating systems) should add significant insights to our knowledge in all three fields and thus add to our general understanding of reproductive behavior.