Dissertation Research: The Endocrine Basis of Species Differences in Avian Paternal Care

论文研究：鸟类父亲照顾中物种差异的内分泌基础

• 批准号: 0073272
• 负责人: Ellen Ketterson
• 金额: $ 0.83万
• 依托单位: Indiana University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2000
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2000-06-15 至 2002-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0073272&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; Endocrine; Basis; Species

Surprisingly little is known about the hormonal basis of species differences in avian parental care. Of particular interest is how parental males integrate song and territorial behavior with parental behavior, since time spent on one activity usually precludes time spent on the other. The objective of the proposed research is to determine whether circulating levels of the hormones testosterone and prolactin are responsible for the difference in paternal behaviors of two related species of songbird, the blue-headed vireo (BHV) and the red-eyed vireo (REV). Male BHVs incubate eggs, while male REVs are far more typical among songbirds in that they do not. Thus the species differ greatly in the degree to which males contribute to parental care. Using hormone manipulations in free-living males of both species, this research will test whether alterations in an individual's circulating hormone levels will lead to corresponding alterations in its song and parental behaviors. The mechanisms of parental care in Passeriformes, the largest order of birds, have not been examined as closely as those in other avian orders. The proposed research provides a strong test of the predicted functions of testosterone and prolactin in parental males.

令人惊讶的是，很少有人知道鸟类父母照顾的物种差异的激素基础。特别感兴趣的是父母的男性如何整合歌曲和领土行为与父母的行为，因为花在一个活动上的时间通常排除了花在另一个活动上的时间。这项研究的目的是确定激素睾酮和催乳素的循环水平是否是两种相关鸣禽蓝头绿鹃（BHV）和红眼绿鹃（REV）父亲行为差异的原因。雄性BHV孵蛋，而雄性REV在鸣禽中更为典型，因为它们不孵蛋。 因此，在雄性对父母照顾的贡献程度上，物种之间存在很大差异。 在这两个物种的自由生活的男性中使用激素操纵，这项研究将测试个体循环激素水平的改变是否会导致其歌曲和父母行为的相应改变。 雀形目是鸟类中最大的目，它的父母照顾机制还没有像其他鸟类目那样被仔细研究过。 拟议的研究提供了一个强有力的测试预测功能的睾酮和催乳素在父母的男性。