U.S.-Chile Cooperative Research: Reproductive Energetics of a South American Caviomorph Rodent Population

这个美洲项目奖将支持西雅图华盛顿大学George Kenagy博士和智利天主教大学Francisco Bozinovic博士之间的合作研究项目。拟建项目的目的是描述德古鼠（degu）在繁殖过程中能量消耗的特征，德古鼠是一种南美洲的啮齿动物，叫做蛇胚目（Caviomorpha）。这一群体经历了漫长的妊娠期，只需要很短的哺乳时间就能生出高度早熟的幼崽。这项研究将试图确定能量的峰值需求和消耗，并了解它们如何对应于所选物种的最大性能能力。稳定同位素技术将用于测量能量消耗率。我们将初步评估能量学与穴居啮齿类动物进化出的生命史模式之间的联系。生命史理论认为，对于无脊椎动物来说，当前繁殖量的增加会对未来的繁殖潜力和生存产生负面影响。来自遗传相关性和个体表现差异的证据继续支持这样一种可能性，即能量关系确实是机体表现和健康之间的联系。本研究将通过深入了解自然哺乳动物种群的能量使用过程及其与雌性在妊娠或哺乳期的最大能量能力的关系，来解决能量在塑造生活史中的作用。这将包括哺乳动物的母性生育策略。＊＊＊

9600578 Kenagy This Americas Program award will support a collaborative research project between Dr. George Kenagy, University of Washington, Seattle, and Dr. Francisco Bozinovic, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile. The objective of the proposed project is to characterize the profile of energy expenditure for breeding in the degu, a rodent belonging to a South American group, the Caviomorpha. This group undertakes a lengthy gestation leading to birth of highly precocial young requiring only a brief period of suckling. The study will seek to identify the peak demand and expenditure of energy and to see how these correspond to the maximal performance capacities of the selected species. Stable isotope technology will be used to measure rates of energy expenditure. An initial assessment will be made of the link between energetics and the mode of life history that has evolved in caviomorph rodents. Life history theory has produced the idea that for iteroparous animals an increase in current reproductive output should have a negative impact on future reproductive potential and survival. Evidence from genetic correlations and individual variation in performance continues to lend support to the possibility that energy relations are indeed a link between organismal performance and fitness. This study will address the role of energy in shaping life histories by providing insights into the process of energy use in a natural mammalian population and its relation to maximum energetic capacities of females during gestation or lactation. This will include the mammalian maternal strategy of producing precocial young. ***