Development of Signaler and Receiver Phenotypes

信号器和接收器表型的发展

• 批准号: 0542097
• 负责人: David Westneat
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Kentucky Research Foundation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-08-15 至 2010-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0542097&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Development; Signaler; Receiver; Phenotypes

Communication occurs in many animals, and often involves physical traits that vary among individuals. Such signals affect social interactions in a variety of contexts, but the natural forces shaping the use of signals are not understood. Many aspects of communication, such as providing false information, could be better understood if more was known about the developmental processes involved. Developmental events affect the nature of the signal, and may also influence how others perceive it and respond. For signals, the developmental process could either depend on resources or be socially influenced. This project will test these two mechanisms of development in a bird, the house sparrow, which has a conspicuous signal of competitive ability. The possibility that plumage signals are sensitive to resources will be tested by systematically manipulating diet during molt. Components of the diet, such as particular amino acids or nutrients, will be adjusted independently of each other. A second hypothesis, that social experience of particular types and with partners of particular characteristics influence the development of the signal, will also be tested. In addition, variation in how individuals respond to the signals of others will be measured. The developmental processes that could influence such variation will be investigated by manipulating early social experience and measuring its effects on later responses to the plumage of novel opponents. The results will be important at several levels. First, they will constitute one of the more thorough studies of the possible condition-dependence of a plumage signal, will be the first to test directly that social experience influences the development of signals, and will assess the novel idea that receiver responses could also be sensitive to social experience. The study will integrate functional and developmental approaches in an attempt to devise a more complete ecological theory of communication and to expand understanding of how phenotypic variation can arise. The proposed activities also have broader impact. The project will advance discovery by integrating across levels of biological organization in ways that have potential effects on several related fields of biology. It will also stimulate a broad program of research training. It will directly support a post-doctoral scholar and at least one graduate student. The proposed activities will also be integrated into broader programs fostering collaborations with faculty and students at primarily undergraduate institutions (e.g., through the KyNSF-EPSCoR and KyNCRR-BRIN programs). Other students (at the graduate, undergraduate, and high school level) will benefit from the research opportunities created by this project. These students will acquire training in all stages of doing research, from devising ideas, collecting and analyzing data, and presenting the results to a wider audience. The project activities will also contribute to labs associated with regular undergraduate courses in the curriculum and provide material for lectures in mid-level classes illustrating the processes involved in behavioral research. Information generated by the project will be disseminated in traditional ways (journal articles, attendance at meetings by all participants), via the web, and through contacts in local schools and organizations. In this way the new knowledge and the training opportunities stimulated by the project will have the widest possible impact.

沟通发生在许多动物中，并且通常涉及个体之间各种的身体特征。这种信号会影响各种情况下的社会互动，但是尚不理解塑造信号使用的自然力量。如果涉及的发展过程有更多了解，可以更好地理解沟通的许多方面，例如提供虚假信息。发展事件会影响信号的性质，也可能影响他人对其的看法和反应方式。 对于信号，发展过程可能取决于资源或对社会影响。该项目将测试鸟类麻雀中的这两种发展机制，该机制具有竞争能力的明显信号。羽毛信号对资源敏感的可能性将通过在蜕皮期间系统地操纵饮食来测试。饮食的成分，例如特定的氨基酸或营养，将彼此独立调整。第二个假设，即特定类型的社会经验以及特定特征的伴侣会影响信号的发展，也将进行测试。此外，将测量个人如何响应他人信号的差异。可能会影响这种差异的发展过程将通过操纵早期的社会经验并衡量其对新对手羽毛的反应的影响来研究。结果在几个层面上都很重要。首先，它们将构成对羽毛信号可能条件依赖性的更彻底的研究之一，将是第一个直接测试社交经验会影响信号发展的人，并将评估接收者反应也可能对社会经验敏感的新颖想法。这项研究将整合功能和发展方法，以试图设计一种更完整的沟通生态理论，并扩展对表型变异如何出现的理解。拟议的活动也具有更大的影响。该项目将通过对生物学几个相关领域的潜在影响的方式进行整合，从而提高发现。它还将刺激广泛的研究培训计划。它将直接支持博士后学者和至少一名研究生。拟议的活动还将集成到更广泛的计划中，以促进与本科机构的教师和学生的合作（例如，通过Kynsf-Epscor和Kyncrr-Brin计划）。其他学生（在研究生，本科和高中阶段）将从该项目创造的研究机会中受益。这些学生将在进行研究的各个阶段进行培训，从设计想法，收集和分析数据以及向更广泛的受众介绍结果。该项目活动还将为课程中定期的本科课程相关的实验室做出贡献，并为中级课程的讲座提供材料，以说明行为研究所涉及的过程。该项目产生的信息将通过传统方式（期刊文章，所有参与者的会议出席），通过网络以及当地学校和组织的联系。这样，项目刺激的新知识和培训机会将产生最大的影响。