Collaborative Research: Developmental and Receiver-Dependent Costs of Avian Signals

合作研究：鸟类信号的发育和接收者依赖性成本。动物交流研究的一个中心问题是为什么信号提供可靠的信息，特别是在信号发送者和接收者有不同兴趣的情况下。 理论表明，如果信号在某种程度上是昂贵的，那么它们可能是可靠的。 拟议的研究将这一理论应用到一个研究良好的信号系统，鸟鸣。雌性鸣禽用雄性的歌声来判断未来配偶的质量。 “营养压力假说”提出，歌曲发展的成本在雄性的歌曲和他作为配偶的质量之间产生了可靠的联系。 由于歌曲的发展是昂贵的，任何男性经历了早期的压力，如食物短缺将产生不良的歌曲和不良的整体表型，使歌曲质量的整体质量的可靠措施。 先前的研究表明，早期营养应激对控制歌曲的大脑区域的发育、雄性学习歌曲的能力以及成年表型的其他方面（如体型）有负面影响。 拟议的研究将以三种方式扩展这项工作。 首先，它将测试早期的营养压力是否会影响雄性的发声能力，也就是他唱那些对身体有挑战性的歌曲的能力。其次，这项研究将测试早期压力是否会影响成年鸟类的免疫系统质量，这是雌性鸟类特别感兴趣的一个特征。第三，这项研究将探讨早期压力是否也会影响女性对歌曲偏好的发展。歌声也是竞争的雄性之间的攻击信号。 在这种情况下，信号可靠性可以通过接收器的积极响应所强加的成本来维持。 如果这些信号也引起接收者最积极的反应，则信号可以可靠地预测升级。 先前的研究表明，“柔和的歌声”（非常安静地发出的歌声）可靠地预测了信号者的攻击性。 这项拟议中的研究将测试柔和的歌曲是否也可能像理论所暗示的那样引起接收者的攻击性反应。 其次，研究将测试软歌是否会降低第三方个体从互动中获取信息的能力。 第三，拟议的研究将调查信号匹配模式如何有助于信号在侵略性的相互作用。这项研究将动物信号系统和择偶的理论和数据与大脑和行为发育的可验证假设相结合。 事实证明，这一领域是招聘和培训妇女和少数民族科学家以及向公众传播科学工作过程的有效平台。 将开发一个互动网站，让6-12年级的学生模拟播放和学习实验与鸣鸟。

Collaborative research: Developmental and receiver-dependent costs of avian signals.Stephen Nowicki & William A. SearcyA central question in the study of animal communication is why signals provide reliable information, especially in cases where the signaler has different interests from the receiver. Theory suggests that signals may be reliable if they are in some way costly. The proposed research applies this theory to a well studied signaling system, birdsong. Female songbirds use male song to judge the quality of prospective mates. The "nutritional stress hypothesis" proposes that the costs of song development produce a reliable link between a male's song and his quality as a mate. Because song development is costly, any male experiencing an early stress such as food shortage will produce both poor song and a poor overall phenotype, making song quality a reliable measure of overall quality. Previous work has shown that early nutritional stress has a negative impact on the development of the brain areas that control song, on the ability of males to learn songs, and on other aspects of adult phenotype such as body size. The proposed research will extend this work in three ways. First, it will test whether early nutritional stress affects a male's vocal performance, that is his ability to sing songs that are physically challenging to produce. Second, the research will test whether early stress affects the quality of the immune system of adult birds, a trait that should be of special interest to females. Third, the research will ask whether early stress also affects the development of song preferences in females. Song also serves as an aggressive signal between competing males. In this context, signal reliability may be maintained by costs imposed by the aggressive response of receivers. Signals can reliably predict escalation if those signals also elicit the most aggressive response by receivers. Previous work shows that "soft songs" (songs produced very quietly) reliably predict aggression on the part of the signaler. The proposed research will test whether soft song also is likely to provoke an aggressive response from receivers, as theory suggests. Second, research will test whether soft song reduces the ability of third party individuals to gain information from an interaction. Third, the proposed research will investigate how patterns of signal matching contribute to signaling in aggressive interactions. The proposed research integrates theory and data concerning animal signaling systems and mate choice with testable hypotheses about the development of brain and behavior. This area has proven to be an effective platform for recruiting and training women and minority scientists, and for disseminating the process of how science is done to the general public. An interactive website will be developed to allow students in grades 6-12 to simulate playback and learning experiments with songbirds.