Doctoral Dissertation Research: Cooperative Reproduction

建议#9623224 1859年，查尔斯·达尔文提出了科学史上最深刻的思想之一--自然选择进化论。自达尔文以来，自然选择应该有利于那些行为方式最大限度地增加其存活后代总数的个体，这一点已被广泛接受。在这种情况下，合作繁殖是一种进化悖论，因为它指的是个体放弃自己的繁殖而帮助他人照顾幼崽的社会制度。这项拟议的研究将通过首次调查合作育种对海洋环境的适用性，来检验当前关于合作育种进化理论的稳健性。这项拟议的研究将调查巴布亚新几内亚马当泻湖小丑海葵Amphipron Percula的繁殖系统。在这个地点，由一对繁殖对和0-6只幼虫组成的群体保卫海葵作为繁殖领土。将调查三个问题：1)海葵的幼崽是否会增加繁殖者的后代数量？1995年的一项初步研究的初步数据表明，幼崽确实会增加繁殖对的后代数量。2)幼体如何增加繁殖者的后代数量？3)繁育系统对幼体的进化成本和收益是什么？该项目将结合全年的实地观察、实验操作和亲属关系的分子分析。海葵鱼提供了一个独特的机会来扩大我们对动物社会中行为可塑性的了解。通过对所研究种群内繁殖系统的了解，将有助于与具有不同交配系统的Percula的其他种群以及生活在热带和亚热带印度不同地区的其他海葵进行比较。这项研究将引起行为和进化生物学家以及热带鱼爱好者的兴趣，因为海葵是最受欢迎的咸水水族鱼之一。

Abstract Proposal # 9623224 PI: S. T. Emlen & P.M. Buston In 1859, Charles Darwin put forward one of the most profound ideas in the history of science; the idea of evolution by natural selection. Since Darwin, it has become widely accepted that natural selection should favor individuals that behave in ways that maximize their total number of surviving offspring. In this context cooperative breeding is an evolutionary paradox because it refers to social systems where individuals forego their own reproduction and assist others in the care of young. The proposed research will test the robustness of current theory concerning the evolution of cooperative breeding by investigating its applicability to the marine environment for the first time. The research proposed will investigate the breeding system of the Clown anemonefish Amphiprion percula in Madang Lagoon, Papua New Guinea. At this site, groups composed of a breeding pair and 0 - 6 juveniles defend anemones as reproductive territories. Three questions will be investigated: 1) do juveniles at the anemone increase the number of offspring of the breeders? Preliminary data, from a 1995 pilot study, suggests that juveniles do indeed increase the number of offspring of the breeding pair. 2) how do the juveniles increase the number of offspring of the breeders? 3) what are the evolutionary costs and benefits of the breeding system to the juveniles? The project will combine year round field observations, experimental manipulations, and molecular analysis of kin relationships. The anemonefishes offer a unique opportunity to expand our knowledge of behavioral plasticity in animal societies. Athorough understanding of the breeding system within the studied population will facilitate comparisons with other populations of A. percula which have different mating systems, as well as with other anemonefishes which live throughout the tropical and sub-tropical Ind opacific. The research will be of interest to behavioral and evolutionary biologists, as well as tropical fish hobbyists because the anemonefishes are some of the most popular salt water aquarium fish.