DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Maternal Investment in Communally Nesting Females

项目摘要很少有人知道的机制，母亲的投资，影响后代的健身incommunitygroups。这项研究是第一次评估具体的机制，投资，影响健身的后代在公共群体。我的目标是：（1）评价群居啮齿动物的母鼠-后代辨别能力;（2）确定群居动物的巢居是否能促进后代的生长，即使食物受到限制;（3）确定群居动物群体中提供的食物、温度和母鼠乳汁对后代生长的相对重要性;（4）监测群居和独居母鼠饲养的后代的存活和繁殖。我发现草原田鼠母鼠对待同种新生鼠而不是同种断乳鼠，而且，当食物被随意提供时，单母鼠群体中的后代比单母鼠群体中的后代生长得更快。我将测试模拟触觉刺激和额外的女性提供的温暖对后代生长和母鼠乳汁的影响（实验。3）。我将监测生存和繁殖的后代从单大坝组和孤立的大坝在户外围栏（实验。4）。通过整合近层次和最终层次的分析，我将提高我们对群落筑巢进化的理解。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.