DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Male testosterone response to courtship in the monogamous California mouse: an honest signal of paternal quality?

论文研究：一夫一妻制的加州小鼠雄性睾酮对求爱的反应：父系品质的诚实信号？

• 批准号: 1010799
• 负责人: Catherine Marler
• 金额: $ 1.2万
• 依托单位: University of Wisconsin-Madison
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-07-15 至 2011-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1010799&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Male; testosterone; response

How animals choose mates is one of the most important questions in biology, because these decisions can shape the evolution of a species. Pressure to select a good mate may be particularly strong when an animal will have only one mate in a lifetime, or survival of infants depends on both parents. This project focuses on the relationship between male testosterone (T), courtship behavior and fathering behavior in the California mouse, Peromyscus californicus. California mice are unusual for mammals because fathers help mothers raise offspring, who cannot survive without their father's presence. Work with fish and birds has shown that females of other species sometimes prefer mates who can signal that they will be good fathers, but it is unknown whether the same is true for mammals. This proposal expands upon previously collected data by the same researchers that show that the amount of T a male releases when he is introduced to a female predicts aspects of his potential as a good father. The goal of the proposed project is to determine whether females can detect the amount of T a male releases during courtship, and if females prefer males who release the most T and advertise this trait using vocal communication. These studies will further an understanding of how species form mating preferences, and strengthen the concept that paternal care can be an important resource for females to consider during mate choice. Moreover, exploring the relationship between T and paternal care in the California mouse will further a more general understanding of how the neuroendocrine system functions to support fathering behavior in mammals, which has the potential to extend to human parenting. Vocal recording techniques from this project will be used in a laboratory module for students enrolled in an undergraduate course in behavioral neuroscience.

动物如何选择配偶是生物学中最重要的问题之一，因为这些决定可以塑造一个物种的进化。当一只动物一生只有一个伴侣，或者婴儿的生存取决于父母双方时，选择好伴侣的压力可能会特别强烈。本研究旨在探讨雄性睾丸激素（T）与加州小鼠求偶行为和父职行为之间的关系。加州小鼠在哺乳动物中是不寻常的，因为父亲帮助母亲抚养后代，没有父亲的存在，后代无法生存。对鱼类和鸟类的研究表明，其他物种的雌性有时更喜欢那些能发出信号表明自己会成为好父亲的配偶，但不知道哺乳动物是否也是如此。这个提议扩展了以前收集的数据，这些数据表明，当男性被介绍给女性时，他释放的T的数量可以预测他作为一个好父亲的潜力。该项目的目标是确定女性是否可以检测到的T男性在求爱期间释放的量，如果女性更喜欢男性谁释放最T和广告使用语音通信这一特点。这些研究将进一步了解物种如何形成交配偏好，并加强概念，父亲的照顾可以是一个重要的资源，为女性在择偶时考虑。此外，在加州小鼠中探索T和父亲照顾之间的关系将进一步更全面地了解神经内分泌系统如何支持哺乳动物的父亲行为，这有可能扩展到人类养育。本计画的录音技术将用于行为神经科学本科生的实验室模组。