DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Maternal Investment in Communally Nesting Females

在群体中，母体投资对后代适应性的影响机制尚不清楚。这项研究首次评估了影响群体中后代适合度的特定投资机制。我的目标是：(1)评估共同生活的啮齿动物对水坝后代的歧视，(2)确定即使在食物限制的情况下，共同筑巢是否能改善后代的生长，(3)确定在共同生活的群体中，接触刺激、温暖和水坝提供的奶对后代生长的相对重要性，(4)监测由共同生活和单独生活的水坝抚养的后代的生存和繁殖。发现草原田鼠坝对同种的幼崽一视同仁，而对同种的幼崽不一视同仁。此外，在提供食物时，单水坝群的后代比单水坝群的后代长得更快。我将测试模拟触觉刺激和额外雌性提供的温暖对后代生长和泌乳的影响（见图3）。我将在室外围栏中监测单坝群和单坝的后代的生存和繁殖(出口。4)。通过综合近似值和终极水平的分析，我将提高我们对公共筑巢进化的理解。本科生已经并将继续参与这项研究。

Project SummaryLittle is known about the mechanisms of maternal investment that affect offspring fitness incommunal groups. This study is the first to evaluate specific mechanisms of investment thataffect the fitness of offspring in communal groups. My objectives are to: (1) evaluate dam-offspring discrimination in a communal rodent, (2) determine if communal nesting improvesoffspring growth even when food is restricted, (3) determine the relative importance of tactilestimulation, warmth and dams milk provided in communal groups on offspring growth, and (4)monitor the survival and reproduction of offspring reared by communal and solitary dams. Ifound that prairie vole dams treat conspecific newborns but not conspecific weanlings as own.Also, offspring in single-dam groups grow more than offspring reared by solitary dams whenfood is provided ad-lib. I will test the effect of simulated tactile stimulation and warmth providedby an additional female on offspring growth and dams milk (Expt. 3). I will monitor survivaland reproduction of offspring from single-dam groups and solitary dams in outdoor enclosures(Expt. 4). By integrating proximate and ultimate levels of analysis, I will improve ourunderstanding of the evolution of communal nesting. Undergraduates have and will continue beinvolved in this study.