NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2011

这一行动为2011财年NSF生物学博士后研究奖学金提供了资金，扩大了参与范围。该奖学金支持在东道主实验室为该研究员制定的研究和培训计划，该研究员还提出了扩大生物学参与度的计划。阿曼达·恩斯明格的这项研究和培训计划的标题是“鸟类视觉生理学和觅食行为的个体差异”。该奖学金的主办机构是普渡大学，赞助科学家是埃斯特班·费尔南德斯-法学博士。研究计划集中在鸟类视觉生理学的个体差异和觅食行为之间的关系。觅食需要在寻找食物和观察捕食者之间进行权衡。此前的研究发现，不同鸟类之间视网膜特征的差异与饮食和栖息地有关。然而，尽管种内变异是理解视觉系统进化的关键，但人们对一个物种内个体之间的视网膜变异知之甚少。这项研究量化了鸟类视网膜生理中个体差异的程度和性质，并直接测试了关于个体光感受器分布如何与个体在觅食行为和技能上的差异有关的假说。这些发现明确地在觅食的背景下将生理学和行为联系起来，并广泛地受益于视觉生态学、觅食理论和动物行为领域。培训目标包括学习鸟类视觉生理学和行为生态学的技术。更广泛的影响包括通过主办机构指导本科生？？奇卡诺人和美洲原住民科学促进会S分会，以及访问当地学校，通过动手活动向年轻学生介绍行为生态学。

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2011, Broadening Participation. The fellowship supports a research and training plan in a host laboratory for the Fellow who also presents a plan to broaden participation in biology. The title of the research and training plan for this fellowship to Amanda Ensminger is "Individual variation in visual physiology and foraging behavior of birds." The host institution for this fellowship is Purdue University and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Esteban Fernandez-Juricic.The research plan centers on the relationship between individual variation in visual physiology and foraging behavior in birds. Foraging involves a trade-off between searching for food and watching for predators. Previous research has found that variation in retinal characteristics among bird species is related to both diet and habitat. However, little is known about retinal variation among individuals within a species, even though intraspecific variation is key to understanding the evolution of visual systems. This research quantifies the degree and nature of individual variation in retinal physiology in birds and directly tests hypotheses about how individual photoreceptor distribution is related to differences among individuals in their foraging behavior and skills. The findings explicitly link physiology and behavior in the context of foraging and benefit broadly the fields of visual ecology, foraging theory, and animal behavior.Training objectives include learning techniques in avian visual physiology and behavioral ecology. Broader impacts include mentoring undergraduates through the host institution?s chapter of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science and visiting local schools to introduce young students to behavioral ecology through hands-on activities.