NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2012

相互配偶的选择在板球Ephippiger diurnus很少有决定是更重要的个人健身比选择何时和与谁交配。虽然择偶是一个被广泛研究的话题，但人们对相互择偶的情况知之甚少。蟋蟀Ephippiger diurnus提供了一个独特的机会来探索相互的配偶选择：女性选择男性的基础上，他们的声音呼叫，男性提供女性的婚姻礼物（营养的精子）。这位研究员将检验这样一个假设，即雄性会选择配偶，而且它们的选择程度取决于它们的营养状况。研究员还将调查女性用来评估男性的特征与男性质量之间的关系。最后，男性和女性的选择之间的相互作用，因为它涉及到身体质量将进行调查。雄性和雌性偏好之间的相互作用很少受到关注，但在许多物种中可能是配偶选择的重要选择力量。在这个项目中，研究员将接受与直翅目昆虫合作的培训，记录和分析声音信号，以及分析精荚质量。研究员将通过东道机构开展若干外联活动。她将从事学生在她的研究，她特别感兴趣的是从事学生群体在科学中代表性不足。该项目将促进研究和教学之间的整合：研究员将在图尔斯大学教授行为生物学，使用基于调查的活动，这将涉及让学生从事与她的研究有关的独立研究项目。这种国际教学经验将使该研究员接触到丰富的文化多样性，并拓宽她在课堂上的观点，提高她吸引来自不同背景的学生的技能。

Mutual mate choice in the bushcricket Ephippiger diurnusFew decisions are more important for individual fitness than choosing when and with whom to mate. Although mate choice is a widely studied topic, little is known about cases where mutual mate choice occurs. The bushcricket Ephippiger diurnus provides a unique opportunity to explore mutual mate choice: females choose males based on their acoustic calls, and males provide females with a nuptial gift (nutritious spermatophores). The fellow will test the hypothesis that males display mate choice, and that their degree of choosiness depends on their nutritional status. The fellow will also investigate the relationship between the traits females use to evaluate males and male quality. Finally, the interplay between male and female choice as it relates to body mass will be investigated. Interactions between male and female preferences have received little attention, yet are likely to be an important selective force on mate choice in many species.In this project the Fellow will receive training in working with Orthopterans, in recording and analyzing acoustic signals, and in analyzing spermatophore quality. The Fellow will pursue several outreach activities through the host institution. She will engage students in her research, and she is especially interested in engaging students from groups that are underrepresented in science. This project will foster integration between research and teaching: the Fellow will teach Behavioral Biology at the University of Tours using inquiry-based activities that will involve having students work on independent research projects relating to her research. This international teaching experience will expose the fellow to a rich cultural diversity and broaden her perspectives in the classroom, improving her skills at engaging students from diverse backgrounds.