CAREER: Parasites and the Evolution of Mating Systems: Do Parasites Drive Complex Behavior in Animals?

职业：寄生虫和交配系统的进化：寄生虫会驱动动物的复杂行为吗？

• 批准号: 0746862
• 负责人: Vanessa Ezenwa
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Montana
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-08-01 至 2010-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0746862&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Parasites; Evolution; Mating; Systems

Parasites and infectious diseases can have profound effects on their hosts, yet relatively little is known about how parasites influence animal behavior. The work will address three fundamental questions: (1) Does individual infection risk vary with mating status and behavior? (2) Do parasites drive variation in mating tactics by influencing individual mating decisions, behavior, and mating success? (3) What are the mechanisms underlying associations between mating behavior and parasite infection? To answer these questions, associations between behavior, physiology and gastrointestinal nematode parasitism in the African antelope, Grant's gazelle (Gazella granti), will be studied. Taking advantage of natural variation in the behavior of male gazelles, the study will examine whether higher parasite infection levels are associated with differences in male mating behavior. In addition, experimental manipulation of male parasite loads will test the effect of parasites on individual mating decisions and mating success. Finally the work will use field and physiological studies to investigate whether reproductive behavior modifies male exposure and susceptibility to parasites. The study results will reveal the extent to which parasites shape behavioral strategies observed in host populations, shedding light on the evolutionary significance of complex animal behaviors. The results of this study will also make a timely contribution to knowledge of how animal behavior may change in response to increasing parasite pressure. The project will provide numerous educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. Biology students from both the U.S.A. and Kenya will gain hands-on training in the fields of disease ecology and behavioral ecology. American students will obtain international research experience working at the study site in Kenya; and students from both countries will have unique opportunities for academic and cultural exchange. This award is co-funded by NSF's Office of International Science and Engineering.

寄生虫和传染病可以对它们的宿主产生深远的影响，但人们对寄生虫如何影响动物行为知之甚少。这项工作将解决三个基本问题：(1)个体感染风险是否随交配状态和行为而变化？(2)寄生虫是否通过影响个体的交配决策、行为和交配成功来驱动交配策略的变化？(3)交配行为与寄生虫感染之间的潜在关联机制是什么？为了回答这些问题，将研究非洲羚羊，格兰特瞪羚（Gazella granti）的行为，生理和胃肠道线虫寄生之间的关系。利用雄性瞪羚行为的自然变异，该研究将检验较高的寄生虫感染水平是否与雄性交配行为的差异有关。此外，实验操纵雄性寄生虫负荷将测试寄生虫对个体交配决策和交配成功的影响。最后，本研究将利用野外和生理研究来调查生殖行为是否会改变男性对寄生虫的暴露和易感性。研究结果将揭示寄生虫在多大程度上塑造宿主种群中观察到的行为策略，揭示复杂动物行为的进化意义。这项研究的结果也将对了解动物行为如何应对不断增加的寄生虫压力做出及时的贡献。该项目将为本科生和研究生提供大量的教育机会。来自美国和肯尼亚的生物学学生将在疾病生态学和行为生态学领域获得实践培训。美国学生将在肯尼亚的研究地点获得国际研究经验；两国学生将有独特的机会进行学术和文化交流。该奖项由美国国家科学基金会国际科学与工程办公室共同资助。