Control of Reproduction in Diverse Habitats

我们建议研究Zonotricia属“冠雀”种群繁殖的环境控制。我们已经确定了北极、中纬度和赤道地区的关键人群，这些人群表现出从极端不灵活的计时(ARTIC)到几乎完全的灵活性和异步性的全谱(赤道地区)。在中纬度地区有中等程度的灵活性。我们还有来自华盛顿州西部的Melospiza Melodia种群的大量数据，这些数据表达了一个类似的生殖灵活性克隆，表明在喀斯喀特山区温和的沿海生境中可塑性最强，而在高海拔生境中的灵活性最低。野外实验将确定每个栖息地内繁殖季节的灵活性。平行的实验室实验将进一步探索环境信号，如日长、温度、食物和水的变化如何与社会线索相互作用，以调节神经内分泌和协调生殖发育的内分泌分泌。这一结果将对脊椎动物在不久的将来如何应对全球变化具有实际应用价值。

We propose to investigate the environmenmtal control of breeding in populations of "crowned sparrows" of the genus Zonotrichia. We have identified key populations in Artic, mid-latitudes and equatorial regions that express the full spectrum of extreme inflexibility of timing (Artic) to almost complete flexibility and asynchrony (equatorial regions). Intermediate degrees of flexibility are found at mid-latitudes. We also have a large corpus of data from a population of Melospiza melodia in western Washington State that expresses a similar cline of reproductive flexibility showing most plasticity in mild, coastal habitats and least flexibility in high altitude habitats in the Cascade mountains. Field experiments will determine how flexible breeding seasons are within each habitat. Parallel laboratory experiments will explore further how environmental signals such as change in day length, temperature, food and water interact with social cues to regulate neuroendocrine and endocrine secretions that orchestrate reproductive development. The results will have practical application on how vertebrates may respond t global change in the near future.