Behavioral and Endocrine Predictors of Reproductive Success in a Cryptically Polygamous Passerine Bird

神秘的一夫多妻制雀形目鸟类繁殖成功的行为和内分泌预测因素

• 批准号: 0639370
• 负责人: Michael Murphy
• 金额: $ 47万
• 依托单位: Portland State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-06-15 至 2012-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0639370&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Behavioral; Endocrine; Predictors; Reproductive; Success

Most birds breed as socially monogamous pairs, yet most temperate zone breeding passerines also acquire fertilizations outside of the social pair bond. It is unclear why females pursue extra-pair fertilizations, but females may acquire "good genes" that enhance offspring survival. How females identify "quality" males is uncertain, but song is known to be important in some species. Testosterone is tightly linked to male reproductive behaviors in birds, including song, and variation of testosterone might directly influence how a male is perceived by a female, but essentially nothing is known of the hormonal correlates extra-pair mating patterns and success. This research will examine the behavioral and hormonal correlates of extra-pair mating success in Eastern Kingbirds (Tyrannus tyrannus), a socially monogamous passerine in which 60% of nests contain extra-pair young. The investigators' previous work has shown that extra-pair success is directly related to song behavior, and given that song is activated and maintained by testosterone, variation of testosterone among male kingbirds is potentially directly related to extra-pair success. Hence, the goals of this project are to (a) identify the benefits to extra-pair mating behavior for females, (b) describe individual variation of testosterone among males over the season, (c) measure the relationship between testosterone and behaviors that females appear to use during mate choice (song), and (d) test the hypothesis that reproductive success is directly related to testosterone. The planned research will address important questions related to individual differences in body condition and testosterone, and determine if these differences underlie the behaviors that females use to identify quality males. The proposed research will provide graduate and undergraduate students with research experiences and further their opportunities to pursue careers in science and teaching, and through in-school programs at rural high schools, promote careers in science among young students.

大多数鸟类作为社会一夫一妻制对繁殖，但大多数温带繁殖雀也获得社会配对债券以外的受精。 目前还不清楚为什么雌性追求额外的配对受精，但雌性可能获得了“好基因”，提高后代的生存。 雌性如何识别“优质”雄性尚不确定，但已知歌曲在某些物种中很重要。睾丸激素与鸟类的雄性生殖行为（包括歌声）密切相关，睾丸激素的变化可能直接影响雌性对雄性的看法，但基本上对激素与额外配对交配模式和成功的相关性一无所知。 这项研究将探讨行为和激素的相关性额外对交配成功的东方王鸟（Tyrannus kingnus），社会一夫一妻制雀，其中60%的巢包含额外对年轻。 研究人员先前的工作表明，额外配对的成功与歌曲行为直接相关，并且考虑到歌曲是由睾丸激素激活和维持的，雄性王鸟之间睾丸激素的变化可能与额外配对的成功直接相关。 因此，本项目的目标是（a）确定额外配对交配行为对雌性的益处，（B）描述雄性在季节中睾酮的个体变化，（c）测量睾酮和雌性在择偶过程中似乎使用的行为（歌曲）之间的关系，以及（d）检验生殖成功与睾酮直接相关的假设。 计划中的研究将解决与身体状况和睾酮的个体差异有关的重要问题，并确定这些差异是否是女性用来识别优质男性的行为的基础。 拟议的研究将为研究生和本科生提供研究经验，并进一步为他们提供追求科学和教学事业的机会，并通过农村高中的校内课程，促进年轻学生的科学事业。