Mechanisms of Group Dynamics in Meerkats

猫鼬的群体动力学机制

• 批准号: 1021633
• 负责人: Christine Drea
• 金额: $ 100万
• 依托单位: Duke University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-10-01 至 2016-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1021633&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Mechanisms; Group; Dynamics; Meerkats

Cooperative breeding is of significant interest in evolutionary biology and the relevance of female-female competition to the operation of sexual selection is gaining appreciation; yet, the determinants of reproductive status (breeder vs. helper) in cooperative systems and the mechanisms underlying female aggression remain poorly understood. From evidence of reproductive suppression, eviction, and infanticide, it is clear that social dominance plays a key role in female competition. What remains unclear, however, are the factors that influence which females become dominant. This project examines the proximal endocrine, social, and olfactory mechanisms that contribute to rank acquisition and reproductive skew in the cooperatively breeding meerkat of the South African Kalahari Desert. Using an integrated approach that combines hormonal, morphological, behavioral, and chemical analyses, this project will chart the developmental trajectory of female meerkats from conception to post dispersal, spanning three life stages (the fetal period, juvenility, and adulthood). It will examine the factors that are normally associated with acquisition and expression of female dominance and will test if female 'masculinization' through prenatal androgen exposure influences those factors. Integrating the information obtained across measures, life stages, treatment groups, and long-term ecological data will provide valuable insight into the development, maintenance, and signaling mechanisms of social and reproductive inequity to potentially reveal a novel mechanism in the evolution of cooperation and female reproductive skew. The project's broader impacts derive from (1) training undergraduates, graduates, and postdoctoral associates, especially from underrepresented groups, (2) fostering interdepartmental and international collaborations, and (3) increasing education and public awareness. The latter will be achieved by involving all team members in the communication and dissemination of scientific findings, partnering with Earthwatch, contributing new information to documentaries and websites (Friends of the Kalahari Meerkat Project) aimed for the general public, schools, and researchers, and contributing to and expanding participation in field courses.

合作繁殖在进化生物学中具有重要意义，雌雄竞争与性选择操作的相关性得到了越来越多的认识；然而，合作系统中生殖地位的决定因素(繁殖者与帮助者)以及导致雌性攻击的机制仍然知之甚少。从生殖抑制、驱逐和杀婴的证据来看，很明显，社会支配地位在女性竞争中发挥着关键作用。然而，目前尚不清楚的是，影响女性成为主导的因素是什么。这个项目研究了南非喀拉哈里沙漠合作繁殖猫鼬的近端内分泌、社会和嗅觉机制，这些机制有助于等级获得和生殖倾斜。这个项目将使用激素、形态、行为和化学分析相结合的综合方法，绘制雌性猫鼬从受孕到散布后的发育轨迹，跨越三个生命阶段(胎儿期、少年和成年期)。它将研究通常与女性支配地位的获得和表现相关的因素，并将测试通过产前雄激素暴露而使女性‘男性化’是否会影响这些因素。将跨措施、生命阶段、治疗组和长期生态数据获得的信息整合起来，将为社会和生殖不平等的发展、维持和信号机制提供宝贵的见解，潜在地揭示合作和女性生殖倾斜的演变中的新机制。该项目的更广泛影响来自(1)培训本科生、毕业生和博士后助理，特别是来自代表性不足的群体，(2)促进部门间和国际合作，以及(3)提高教育和公众意识。后者将通过以下方式实现：让所有团队成员参与科学发现的交流和传播，与地球观察合作，向面向公众、学校和研究人员的纪录片和网站(Kalahari Meerkat项目之友)提供新的信息，以及促进和扩大对实地课程的参与。