Coevolution of Genes and Animal Cultures

动物行为程序非技术性摘要建议#：9816651 PI：Nelson，Douglas A.标题：基因和动物文化的共同进化这个项目将检验一种文化传播的特征--鸟鸣--影响动物种群遗传结构的想法。鸣禽在生命的最初几个月里通过模仿成年鸟的歌声来学习它们的歌声。歌曲学习往往会导致地区方言的形成，就像人类的语言一样，这也是在生活中很早就学会的。有人提出，如果男性和女性都学习歌曲，然后根据歌曲选择配偶，那么方言之间的基因流动将受到限制。纳尔逊和帕克将研究北美西北海岸的普吉特湾白冠麻雀的歌声方言。一系列的歌曲回放实验将被用来定义对鸟类有感知意义的方言边界。然后，研究人员将使用从鸟类身上提取的微小血液样本产生的遗传标记，比较不同方言之间的遗传差异。基因分型数据还将被用来跟踪鸟类相对于方言边界的扩散情况。由于歌曲方言是已知的动物中为数不多的持久的文化传播传统之一，它们为研究声乐学习过程以及习得的发声(文化)如何影响动物种群的遗传结构提供了一个有用的模型系统。这个项目将提供关于这些问题的基本信息，这些信息最终可能被证明对理解人类的类似过程很有用。

Animal Behavior ProgramNontechnical AbstractProposal #: 9816651PI: Nelson, Douglas A.Title: Coevolution of Genes and Animal CulturesThis project will examine the idea that a culturally transmitted trait, bird song, influences the genetic structure of animal populations. Song birds learn their songs in the first few months of life by imitating the songs of adult birds. Song learning often leads to the formation of regional dialects, much as in human speech, which is also learned early in life. It has been suggested that if both males and females learn their songs and then chose mates based on song, then gene flow between dialects will be restricted. Nelson and Parker will study the song dialects of the Puget Sound white-crowned sparrow alongThe northwest coast of North America. A series of song playback experiments will be used to define dialect boundaries that are perceptually meaningful to the birds. The researchers will then compare genetic variation between dialects using genetic markers produced from tiny blood samples taken from birds. The genotypic data will also be used to follow dispersal of birds relative to dialect boundaries. Since song dialects are one of the few examples of long-lasting culturally-transmitted traditions known in animals, they provide a useful model system for study of the vocal learning process, and how learned vocalizations (culture) may affect the genetic structure of animal populations. This project will provide basic information on these issues, which may ultimately prove useful in understanding similar processes in humans.