DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Dissecting ant societies: elucidating how colony size affects brain and behavioral specializations

论文研究：剖析蚂蚁社会：阐明群体大小如何影响大脑和行为专业化

• 批准号: 1210412
• 负责人: Ulrich Mueller
• 金额: $ 1.5万
• 依托单位: University of Texas at Austin
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-10-01 至 2014-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1210412&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Dissecting; ant; societies

This dissertation research seeks to understand how brain anatomy correlates with task-specialization within ant societies. The research develops a model experimental system of acacia ants, which nest symbiotically in hollow spines of acacia plants, feed on food produced by the plant, and in return protect the plant. Acacia ants are ideal for this study because workers are similar in shape but exhibit distinct behavioral groups that are specialized on different tasks critical for the coordinated functioning of the society. The research specifically tests (1) whether task-specialization correlates with different brain structures; and (2) how society size affects the behavioral and neuro-anatomical specialization among workers. The research contributes to the understanding of animal sociality. The research will be the first to use multiple behavioral groups of an ant species to explore the links between brain and behavior, while controlling for worker morphology. The study will also provide insights into the poorly understood brain anatomy of ants that rely heavily on visual stimuli and visual communication. The investigations involve collaborating researchers in Panama, Costa Rica, and the USA, as well as field sites in Costa Rica and Panama. As part of the research, the doctoral trainee is supervising the Master's thesis of a female student from the Universidad de Costa Rica. Undergraduate students from the University of Texas and a high school student are digitally reconstructing brain anatomy. The trainee also disseminates research results through regular presentations to students, schoolteachers, park rangers, and naturalist guides.

这项论文研究旨在了解大脑解剖结构与蚂蚁社会内部任务专业的关系。该研究开发了一种相思蚂蚁的模型实验系统，该系统在相思植物的空心棘中筑巢，以植物生产的食物为食，而作为回报保护植物。相思蚂蚁是这项研究的理想选择，因为工人的形状相似，但表现出独特的行为群体，这些行为群体专门针对社会协调功能至关重要。该研究专门检验（1）任务特殊化是否与不同的大脑结构相关； （2）社会规模如何影响工人之间的行为和神经动物专业化。该研究有助于理解动物的社会性。这项研究将是第一个使用蚂蚁物种的多个行为群体来探索大脑与行为之间的联系，同时控制工人形态。这项研究还将提供有关严重依赖视觉刺激和视觉交流的蚂蚁大脑解剖结构的洞察力。调查涉及在巴拿马，哥斯达黎加和美国的合作研究人员，以及哥斯达黎加和巴拿马的现场。作为研究的一部分，博士培训人员正在监督哥斯达黎加大学的女学生的硕士论文。来自德克萨斯大学和一名高中生的本科生正在数字地重建大脑解剖结构。学员还通过向学生，学校老师，公园护林员和博物学家指南进行定期演讲来传播研究结果。