US-Chile IRES: Intraspecific variation in the social behavior of Chilean rodents - Ecology, mechanism, and fitness

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This International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) project, funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5), studies the potential links between ecological variation, endocrine and neurobiological mechanisms, and reproductive consequences of social group living. Graduate and undergraduate students from the University of Louisiana at Monroe will collaborate with researchers from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, the Universidad Austral de Chile, and the Universidad de Chile to study two widely distributed and social rodents (degus and corurus) in their native habitats in Chile. Comparisons of ecological factors (such as the availability of food), social behaviors (including group-living), and reproductive success will be made in field sites characterized by different ecological conditions. In addition, the researchers will collect samples for hormonal and neurobiological analyses to determine if ecological variation and sociality are linked to the expression of these systems. The results of this study could lead to the development of a novel evolutionary-mechanistic model for animal sociality.A major emphasis of this project is to engage U.S. students in meaningful projects with international students and faculty. Students will work closely with researchers with different scientific backgrounds and will learn field and laboratory techniques that will enhance their research skills. Altogether, these experiences will increase the networking and international competitiveness of the student participants. By intentionally creating opportunities for first-generation, minority, and female students, the research program will have broad impacts on biology education and research in northeast Louisiana.