Dissertation Research: Linking Anti-parasitism Mechanisms and Population Dynamics

论文研究：将抗寄生虫机制与种群动态联系起来

• 批准号: 0608392
• 负责人: John Endler
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of California-Santa Barbara
• 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: 2006-09-01 至 2008-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0608392&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; Linking; Anti; parasitism

The research is aimed at understanding the ecological mechanisms involved in the evolution of anti-predator defenses, and to link these mechanisms with population dynamics. This work explicitly investigates how prey (or host) traits affect two specific stages of a predation (or parasitism) sequence. It explores how a host species avoids visual detection, and how it evades attack and capture once an individual (or patch) has been detected. The overarching question is: Is there is a trade-off in overall efficiency between these stages? Patterns found in a population of the Tupelo leafminer, Antispila nysaefoliella, suggest that there is indeed a trade-off. However, knowing the source(s) and intensity of selection (or regulation) is essential in understanding the role of this trade-off in evolution. The most important mortality source of leafminers and other small insects is parasitism by micro-hymenopteran wasps, most of which are minute and inconspicuous. Therefore, a molecular survey of hosts will be conducted to accurately detect parasitism.The expected results of a molecular survey will determine: (1) the accuracy of the patterns of parasitism that have been generated from observational and experimental work, and (2) if the estimated detectability and attack functions are relevant for all parasitoid species or just some. Results and training from the proposed work will help to establish a platform for future research investigating topics such as signal evolution, coevolution, and host specialization, and will have direct application to more effective biological programs. These fields have rarely been integrated, and the proposed research should yield significant new insights.

该研究旨在了解反捕食者防御进化中涉及的生态机制，并将这些机制与种群动态联系起来。这项工作明确研究了猎物（或宿主）特征如何影响捕食（或寄生）序列的两个特定阶段。它探讨了宿主物种如何避免视觉检测，以及一旦检测到个体（或斑块）如何逃避攻击和捕获。最重要的问题是：这些阶段之间的整体效率是否存在权衡？在图珀洛潜叶蝇 Antispila nysaefoliella 种群中发现的模式表明，确实存在一种权衡。然而，了解选择（或调节）的来源和强度对于理解这种权衡在进化中的作用至关重要。潜叶蝇和其他小昆虫最重要的死亡来源是微型膜翅目黄蜂的寄生，这些黄蜂大多体型微小且不引人注目。因此，将对宿主进行分子调查，以准确检测寄生现象。分子调查的预期结果将确定：（1）通过观察和实验工作产生的寄生模式的准确性，以及（2）估计的可检测性和攻击功能是否与所有寄生蜂物种相关或仅与某些寄生蜂物种相关。拟议工作的结果和培训将有助于为未来研究信号进化、共同进化和宿主专业化等主题的研究建立一个平台，并将直接应用于更有效的生物项目。这些领域很少被整合，拟议的研究应该会产生重要的新见解。