Doctoral Dissertation Research: Learned Social and Mate Recognition in Species Pairs of Sticklebacks

Janette BoughmanIOS-0807469博士论文研究：学会社会和配偶识别物种对的刺鱼如何新物种的形成是生物学中的一个重要问题。 解决这个问题的一种方法是研究为什么近亲物种之间不发生交配。 这项研究将使用行为实验来研究社会互动对一对物种（底栖和湖沼棘鱼）交配行为的影响，这些物种可以形成杂交种，但通常不会杂交。 先前的研究发现，幼鱼的社会经验（与其他物种一起长大）会改变鱼选择与哪个物种交配。 该项目将研究与父母或捕食者的互动是否会影响配偶选择和杂交。 由另一个物种的父母抚养可能会使刺鱼更有可能与他们的寄养物种交配;这发生在其他鱼类和鸟类中。 与捕食者的经验也可以增加物种之间的杂交，因为当捕食者存在时，雌性对自己物种的雄性选择性降低。 为了测试这些影响，将进行两个实验。在一个实验中，刺鱼将由自己的父母或其他物种抚养，然后进行测试，以确定它们更喜欢与哪个物种交配。 在另一个实验中，刺鱼会看到鳟鱼的捕食者在相邻的坦克，以确定是否感知的捕食风险，使他们不太特别，他们与谁交配。 研究社会互动如何改变杂交将使我们深入了解社会行为在这些物种最初进化中的作用。 此外，它将确定导致这些物种之间杂交增加的因素。 这些信息可以帮助解释为什么杂交发生在一些受干扰的湖泊，并为保护工作提供信息。 更广泛的影响：这些实验将为本科生提供研究机会。此外，收集的数据将用于开发教育材料，利用刺鱼来说明进化原理。

Janette BoughmanIOS-0807469Doctoral Dissertation Research: Learned Social and Mate Recognition in Species Pairs of Stickleback FishHow new species form is an important question in biology. One way to approach this question is to study why mating does not occur between closely related species. This research will use behavioral experiments to look at the effect of social interactions on mating behavior in a pair of species (benthic and limnetic stickleback fish) that can form hybrids but normally do not interbreed. Previous work found that social experience as juveniles (being raised with the other species) altered which species fish chose to mate with. The project will look at whether interactions with parents or predators affect mate choice and hybridization. Being raised by a parent of another species might make sticklebacks more likely to mate with their foster species; this occurs in other fish and bird species. Experience with predators could also increase hybridization between species, since females become less selective of males of their own species when predators are present. To test for these effects, two experiments will be performed. In one, sticklebacks will be raised either by a parent of their own or the other species and then tested to determine which species they prefer to mate with. In another experiment, sticklebacks will see trout predators in an adjacent tank to determine if the perceived risk of predation makes them less particular about who they mate with. Studying how social interactions alter hybridization will give insight into the role social behavior may have had in the initial evolution of these species. Additionally, it will identify factors that lead to increased hybridization between these species. This information could help explain why hybridization occurs in some disturbed lakes and inform conservation efforts. Broader impacts: These experiments will provide research opportunities for undergraduate students. Furthermore, the data collected will be used to develop educational materials that employ sticklebacks to illustrate evolutionary principles.