Collaborative Research: Interaction Effects in a Pheromone Signaling System

动物行为中一个尚未解决的问题是，雄性信号的复杂性和变化如何在种群中得以维持。 过去试图确定导致不同雄性生殖信号的进化力量，忽略了特定性状组合可能通过单个信号成分的协同相互作用而获得有效性的可能性。 事实上，这些相互作用可能是复杂的雄性展示选择的重要组成部分。 这项研究将集中在一种蝾螈的信息素。这些生殖信息素是由蛋白质组合产生的化学信号，雄性在求爱期间传递给雌性。 个体信息素成分的组合使每个雄性都是独一无二的。 行为实验将测量女性对特定信息素组合的偏好的强度。 记录这些雌性偏好将揭示这种雌性择偶机制是否可以解释雄性信息素的巨大变化。 此外，数学模型的过程中，信息素的多样性保持将被构建，并使用实验结果进行评估。这项研究将促进俄勒冈州州立大学和路易斯维尔大学的外展计划。 这些计划将教师和学生（研究生和本科生）与当地教师（K-12）以及传统上在科学研究中代表性不足的学生联系起来。 这项活动的三个主要目标是培养研究生和本科生的实验方法和新技术，将新的教学方法付诸实践，以促进学习和保留大型科学课程，并让教师和研究生与当地学校教师合作，开发适合不同年级的短期课程。

An unresolved question in animal behavior is how complexity and variation in male signals is maintained within populations. Past attempts to identify evolutionary forces that result in different male reproductive signals have ignored the possibility that particular trait combinations may gain effectiveness by the synergistic interaction of individual signal components. In fact, these interactions may be a vital component of selection on complex male displays. This study will focus on pheromones in a species of salamander. These reproductive pheromones are chemical signals, created by a combination of proteins, that a male delivers to a female during courtship. The combination of individual pheromone components makes each male unique. Behavioral experiments will measure the strength of female preferences for particular pheromone combinations. Documenting these female preferences will reveal whether this mechanism of female mate choice can account for the immense variation of male pheromones. Additionally, mathematical models of the process by which pheromone diversity is maintained will be constructed, and evaluated using the experimental results. This study will promote outreach programs at Oregon State University and at the University of Louisville. These programs will link faculty and students (graduate and undergraduate) with local teachers (K-12) and with students traditionally under-represented in scientific research. The three primary goals of this activity are to train graduate and undergraduate students in experimental approaches and in new techniques, to put into practice new teaching methods shown to promote learning and retention in large science courses, and to let faculty and graduate students work with local school teachers to develop short programs amenable to different grade levels.