Neural Biases for Elaborate Male Traits

复杂的男性特征的神经偏差

• 批准号: 0445682
• 负责人: Sabrina Burmeister
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-04-01 至 2011-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0445682&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Neural; Biases; Elaborate; Male; Traits

The proposed research investigates the neural mechanisms of female preferences for elaborate male traits. In all major taxa of animals and operating through all sensory modalities, males have evolved elaborate signals that function in attracting females to mate. Typically, females demonstrate a strong preference for males of their own species and they demonstrate preferences for some males over others. Both types of preferences are typically mediated by a female's response to social signals produced by males. The proposed experiments will investigate the neural mechanisms that mediate female preferences for elaborate male traits using the tungara frog (Physalaemus pustulosus) model system. The research will test the hypothesis that female preferences are mediated by a neural bias in the sensory system processing the signals produced by males. The tungara frog model system allows testing of this hypothesis by addressing the following questions: (1) Is the female preference for the mating calls of conspecific males over heterospecific males mediated by a bias in the auditory system? (2) Is the female preference for some types of mating calls over others mediated by a bias in the auditory system? (3) Finally, are these biases in the auditory system general features that are shared by other species that have similar preferences? A strength of the tungara frog model system is that it allows one to approach neurobiological studies with an evolutionary perspective. Thus, the research will greatly enhance the understanding of the neural substrate on which selection acts to shape the behavior of organisms. In addition, the project is expected to contribute substantially to the understanding of how complex biological sounds are represented by the auditory system. Broader Impacts: In addition to advancing scientific knowledge, the proposed research will have broader impacts in education and scientific training at multiple levels, including undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels. The principal investigators have a commitment to extending scientific learning to young students in the K-12 grades through guest lectures at local schools. In addition, the proposed research supports under-represented groups in science by supporting women in science and by the inclusion of Latin American scientists-in-training at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. Furthermore, the publications and lectures resulting from the proposed research will serve to foster an exchange between the fields of behavioral ecology and neuroscience, which, in turn, will increase interdisciplinary perspectives in undergraduate biology courses.

本研究旨在探讨女性偏好复杂男性特征的神经机制。在所有主要的动物分类群中，雄性通过各种感觉方式进化出了吸引雌性交配的复杂信号。通常情况下，雌性对自己物种的雄性表现出强烈的偏好，它们对某些雄性的偏好高于其他雄性。这两种偏好通常都是由雌性对雄性发出的社会信号的反应所调节的。该实验将利用舌蛙（Physalaemus pustlosus）模型系统研究调节雌性对复杂雄性特征偏好的神经机制。这项研究将检验一个假设，即女性的偏好是由处理男性产生的信号的感觉系统中的神经偏见所调节的。舌蛙模型系统允许通过解决以下问题来验证这一假设：(1)雌性对同种雄性的交配叫声的偏好是否由听觉系统中的偏见介导？(2)雌性对某些类型的求偶叫声的偏好是否由听觉系统的偏见介导？(3)最后，听觉系统中的这些偏见是否为其他具有类似偏好的物种所共有？坦加拉蛙模型系统的一个优点是，它允许人们从进化的角度来进行神经生物学研究。因此，这项研究将极大地增强对选择作用于生物行为的神经基质的理解。此外，该项目预计将大大有助于理解复杂的生物声音是如何由听觉系统表示的。更广泛的影响：除了促进科学知识，拟议的研究将在多个层面，包括本科，研究生和博士后水平的教育和科学培训产生更广泛的影响。主要研究人员承诺通过在当地学校的客座讲座，将科学学习扩展到K-12年级的年轻学生。此外，拟议的研究支持代表性不足的科学群体，支持妇女参与科学，并在巴拿马的史密森尼热带研究所纳入拉丁美洲的在职科学家。此外，本研究的出版物和讲座将有助于促进行为生态学和神经科学领域之间的交流，这反过来将增加本科生物学课程的跨学科视角。