RIG: Cryptic Speciation in Jumping Spiders: Multimodal Courtship Divergence in Jumping Spiders of the Sonoran Desert 'Sky Islands'

对生命的多样性以及驱动和维持这种多样性的过程进行编目是当今科学家面临的最重要的目标之一。多样性的一个重要热点是亚利桑那州东南部和墨西哥北部的“天空岛”。这些所谓的天空岛得名于它们与岛屿的相似之处，因为山脉顶部的林地被沙漠“海洋”隔开。在不同的天空岛屿上，动物群体已经分化成各种各样的形式，这已经成为研究物种形成的“自然实验”。这项研究计划将行为科学和工程科学的创新技术结合起来，研究导致天空岛上物种多样化的过程，特别是两组跳蛛。跳蜘蛛是最多样化的动物群体之一，它们的行为受到了人们的关注，因为雄性跳蜘蛛会用求爱的“歌舞”来吸引配偶。该研究计划将着眼于求偶行为，特别是(1)不同天空岛屿上的行为是如何分化的，(2)雌性如何根据不同天空岛屿上的雄性行为做出决定，以及(3)环境如何影响雄性和雌性交配行为的发展。由于求偶行为的差异通常会定义物种，因此该提案对于在美国最重要的栖息地之一对未知多样性（“神秘物种形成”）进行编目非常重要。此外，通过调查一个物种多样化过程正在进行的系统，该提案将允许研究人员测试关于驱动物种维持的因素以及环境变化如何导致自然界中发现的形式多样性的假设。该提案的结果将用于生成在线教育材料，这些材料将免费提供，并作为对学习行为，生态学，动物感官和保护感兴趣的教育者的资源。

Cataloging the diversity of life and the processes that drive and maintain this diversity is one of the most important goals facing scientists today. One important hotspot of diversity is the "sky-islands" of southeastern Arizona and northern Mexico. The so-called sky islands are named for their resemblance to islands as woodlands at the tops of mountain ranges are separated by desert "oceans". On different sky-islands, groups of animals have diversified into a variety of forms and this has served as a "natural experiment" to investigate species formation. The research proposal uses an innovative blend of techniques from behavioral and engineering sciences to look at the processes which lead to species diversification on the sky-islands, specifically in two groups of jumping spiders. Jumping spiders are one of the most diverse animal groups and their behavior has received attention as males use courtship "song and dances" to attract mates. The research proposal will look at courtship behavior and in particular (1) how behavior has diverged on the different sky-islands, (2) how females make decisions based on male behavior on the different sky-islands, and (3) how the environment influences the development of male and female mating behavior. Because differences in courtship behavior often define species, the proposal will be important to cataloging unknown diversity ("cryptic speciation") in one of the most important American habitats. In addition, by investigating a system where the process of species diversification is currently ongoing, the proposal will allow the researchers to test hypotheses on what drives the maintenance of species and how variation in the environment leads to the diversity of forms found in nature. Results from the proposal will be used to generate online educational materials which will freely available and used as a resource for educators interested in learning about behavior, ecology, animal senses, and conservation.