CAREER: Factors that Shape the Evolution of Multimodal Signals in the Chesnut-Bellied Flycatcher Monarcha castaneiventris

动物使用不同感觉模式的各种信号（“多模态信号”）来促进社会互动。例如，大多数鸟类使用独特的声音（歌声）和视觉（彩色羽毛）信号来吸引配偶或保卫领土。最近的研究表明，这些多模态信号对物种的区分和维持很重要；然而，物种之间信号差异如此之大的根本原因仍然知之甚少。本研究采用观察、遗传和实验相结合的方法，旨在揭示产生信号和物种多样性的过程。在所罗门群岛，栗子腹捕蝇鸟的种群在其整个范围内表现出惊人的歌声和羽毛颜色变化。这项工作将测试岛屿群在森林栖息地、社会结构和羽毛降解细菌的丰度方面是否存在差异，以及这种差异是否与观察到的捕蝇鸟种群在鸣叫和颜色方面的差异有关。这项工作的科学组成部分将与教育和保护联系起来，通过开发一门实地课程，使本科生与所罗门岛生物学家合作，并实施旨在保护所罗门群岛濒危栖息地的外展计划。总而言之，该研究项目将提供对自然生物多样性形成因素的独特理解，这将被用作保护推广的平台，并培训所罗门岛的生物学家和本科生，特别是那些来自生物科学领域代表性不足的群体的学生。

Animals use a diverse set of signals of different sensory modes ("multimodal signals") to facilitate social interactions. For instance, most birds use unique acoustic (song) and visual (colorful plumage) signals in attracting mates or defending territories. Recent studies indicate that these multimodal signals are important in distinguishing and maintaining species; however, the underlying reasons why signals are so diverse among species remain little understood. Using a combination of observational, genetic and experimental approaches, this research aims to uncover the processes that generate signal and species diversity. Populations of the chestnut-bellied flycatcher Monarcha castaneiventris show dramatic variation in song and plumage color throughout its range in the Solomon Islands. The work will test if island groups differ in forest habitat, social structure and abundances of feather-degrading bacteria, and whether this variation is linked to the observed differences in song and color among the flycatcher populations. The scientific component of this work will be linked to education and conservation by the development of a field course that will partner undergraduate students with Solomon Island biologists, and the implementation of outreach programs aimed at conserving the endangered habitats of the Solomon Islands. In sum, the research program will provide a unique understanding of the factors that shape biodiversity in nature, which will be used as a platform for conservation outreach, and to train Solomon Island biologists and undergraduate students, especially those from groups underrepresented in the biological sciences.