Research Starter Grant: Signal Evolution and Speciation in Bearded Manakins (Manacus spp.)

摘要了解新物种是如何产生的(“物种形成”)仍然是生物学中最重要和最悬而未决的问题之一。理解这一过程的核心是确定阻止物种交配的障碍是如何进化的。最近的研究开始表明，交配信号设计的变化可以导致生殖障碍的快速进化；然而，人们对最初驱动这些变化的因素知之甚少。我的研究计划试图通过1)确定哪些环境因素可以驱动信号设计的变化，以及2)了解这些变化如何作为生殖障碍来填补这一空白。胡须马纳金(Manacus manacus SSP.)显示出雄性羽毛颜色的巨大差异--这是向雌性展示强烈求爱时使用的信号。通过行为观察和实地实验操作相结合，我的工作旨在确定雄性颜色的差异是否与视觉环境的各个方面有关，以及这些差异是否反过来在不同的马纳金颜色形式之间起到生殖障碍的作用。

ABSTRACT Understanding how new species arise ("speciation") remains one of the most important and unresolved issues in biology. Central to understanding this process is determining how barriers that prevent species from mating evolve. Recent studies are beginning to show that changes in the design of mating signal can lead to the rapid evolution of reproductive barriers; however, little is known about the factors that drive these changes in the first place. My research program attempts to fill this gap by 1) determining which environmental factors can drive changes in signal design, and 2) understanding how these changes act as reproductive barriers. Closely related subspecies of the bearded manakin (Manacus manacus ssp.) show dramatic differences in the color of male plumage -- a signal used during intense courtship displays to females. Using a combination of behavioral observations and experimental manipulations in the field, my work aims to determine if differences in male coloration are linked to aspects of the visual environment, and if these differences, in turn, act as reproductive barriers among the different manakin color forms.