CRU-I: Exploring the Ecology of Flash Communication in Photinus Fireflies Through Collaborative Undergraduate Research with Computer-Simulated Signaling Behavior.

CRU-I：通过本科生合作研究和计算机模拟信号行为探索光辉萤火虫闪光通信的生态学。

• 批准号: 0330897
• 负责人: Christopher Cratsley
• 金额: $ 66.32万
• 依托单位: Fitchburg State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2003
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2003-12-01 至 2006-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0330897&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CRU; Exploring; Ecology; Flash; Communication

Fitchburg State College is requesting funding for collaborative research project in order to 1) explore how male courtship behavior in Photinus fireflies is influenced by the behavior of conspecific and heterospecific Photinus fireflies as well as how this behavior influences potentially predatory Photuris fireflies, field mice and bats, 2) to develop new methods for investigating communication between organisms and 3) to provide interdisciplinary research opportunities for students of Biology and Computer Science at Fitchburg State College. Together these outcomes represent the broader need to prepare students who can think critically about experimental design and implementation and apply the latest technology to solving scientific problems. This proposal provides a vehicle to expose these students to the potential for scientific research and graduate study as an integral part of any career in the sciences by: By providing paid research opportunities for our undergraduates we will increase our ability to prepare these students for advanced study in Biology. Exposing students to research methods including the development and testing of hypotheses. They will have the opportunity to publish results and discuss their work with others at a national conference. Preparing students for careers in computer science by giving them experience in all phases of a development project from concept to deployment. Courtship communication in biological systems represents a rapidly growing field within behavioral ecology. While technology increasingly allows us to eavesdrop on these communication systems, simulate signals, and identify behavioral outcomes, this approach focuses predominantly on the behavior of the receiver in response to signal variation. An added level of complexity is involved when we attempt to monitor how the signaler may modify the signal in response to the behavior of the receiver. In order to incorporate this added complexity into our experimental designs we must simulate and manipulate the receiver's response to the signal. This requires developing microcomputer-based instruments capable of detecting and analyzing signals and outputting simulated behavioral responses. This type of system can also allow us to test how the interaction between signalers and receivers influences the behavior of conspecific and heterospecific organisms that are observing this communication. Conducting this type of research requires collaboration between Biologists who can provide an understanding of the elements of the communication system and Computer Scientists capable of designing appropriate microcomputer-based instruments. The experiments we are proposing with Photinus fireflies require microcomputer-based instruments that can perform real-time integration of behavioral data in order to produce simulated behaviors and to measure subsequent behavioral activity. Developing these instruments requires close collaboration between Biologists with knowledge of the behavioral repertoires of interest and Computer Scientists with the capability to develop appropriate tools. The objectives of this collaboration are to 1) develop systems that mimic communication between male and female fireflies, 2) refine these systems to more closely simulate the dynamic nature of flash communication, and 3) integrate behavioral data from other organisms to produce responses.

菲奇堡州立学院正在申请一项合作研究项目的资金，以探索Photinus萤火虫的雄性求偶行为如何受到同种和异种Photinus萤火虫的行为的影响，以及这种行为如何影响潜在的掠食性Photinus萤火虫，田鼠和蝙蝠；2)开发研究生物间交流的新方法；3)为菲奇堡州立学院生物学和计算机科学专业的学生提供跨学科的研究机会。总之，这些成果代表了更广泛的需求，培养学生能够批判性地思考实验设计和实施，并应用最新技术来解决科学问题。该提案提供了一种工具，让这些学生接触到科学研究和研究生学习的潜力，作为任何科学职业的组成部分：通过为我们的本科生提供有偿研究机会，我们将提高我们的能力，为这些学生准备生物学的高级学习。让学生接触研究方法，包括假设的发展和检验。他们将有机会在全国会议上发表结果并与其他人讨论他们的工作。通过让学生在开发项目的各个阶段从概念到部署的经验，为他们在计算机科学领域的职业生涯做好准备。生物系统中的求偶交流是行为生态学中一个快速发展的领域。虽然技术越来越多地允许我们窃听这些通信系统，模拟信号，并识别行为结果，但这种方法主要关注接收器对信号变化的响应行为。当我们试图监控信号发送方如何根据接收方的行为修改信号时，就会增加复杂性。为了将这种增加的复杂性纳入我们的实验设计中，我们必须模拟和操纵接收器对信号的响应。这就需要发展以微电脑为基础的仪器，能够探测和分析信号并输出模拟的行为反应。这种类型的系统还可以让我们测试信号发送者和接收者之间的相互作用如何影响观察这种通信的同种和异种生物的行为。进行这种类型的研究需要生物学家和计算机科学家之间的合作，后者能够提供对通信系统要素的理解，而计算机科学家能够设计适当的基于微机的仪器。我们提出的Photinus萤火虫实验需要基于微型计算机的仪器，可以执行行为数据的实时集成，以产生模拟行为并测量随后的行为活动。开发这些工具需要生物学家与计算机科学家之间的密切合作，生物学家有兴趣的行为谱和计算机科学家有能力开发适当的工具。这次合作的目标是：1)开发模拟雄性和雌性萤火虫之间交流的系统；2)改进这些系统，更接近地模拟闪光交流的动态本质；3)整合来自其他生物的行为数据来产生反应。