SGER: The Evolutionary Genetics of Avian Choice Behavior

摘要本项目旨在探索鸟类选择行为遗传研究的可行性。该项目有两个关键目标。首先，它将开发一个系统来测试考图尼克斯鹌鹑的选择行为，这将使研究人员能够有效地分析选择行为的几个方面，比如食物偏好的发展速度有多快，以及偏好对食物奖励的时间和数量的差异有多敏感。该项目的第二个目标是对偏好性状之间的遗传力和相关性进行初步估计。这些估计将通过比较相关个体的测量“偏好特征”来做出。在这项研究中，我们将测试半同胞家庭，即一对鹌鹑有相同的父亲，但不同的母亲的家庭群体。这种方法使我们能够排除可能的母系影响。由此产生的基因估计将使我们能够预测选择行为对自然选择或人工选择的反应。性状之间的遗传相关性提供了选择行为的不同方面受同一基因影响程度的信息。

SGER: The evolutionary genetics of avian choice behaviorDavid W. StephensUniversity of MinnesotaLay AbstractThis project explores the feasibility of genetic studies of avian choice behavior. The project has two key goals. First, it will develop a system for testing the choice behavior of Coturnix quail that will allow the investigators to efficiently assay several aspects of choice behavior, such as how quickly food preferences develop, and how sensitive preferences are to differences in the timing and amount of food reward. The second goal of this project is to make preliminary estimates of the heritability of, and correlations between preference traits. These estimates will be made by comparing the measured "preference traits" of related individuals. In this study we will test half-sib families, that is, family groups in which a given pair of quail has the same father, but different mothers. This method allows us to exclude possible maternal effects. The resulting genetic estimates will allow us to make predictions about how choice behavior should respond to natural or artificial selection. Genetic correlations between traits provide information about the extent to which the different aspects of choice behavior are influenced by the same genes.