Dissertation Research: Wings versus Legs: Mechanistic Underpinnings of Variation in Locomotor Behavior among Birds

在现存的10，000种鸟类及其已灭绝的基律纳祖先中，翅膀和腿的相对大小和投资差异很大。 这种变化可能对运动性能和鸟类生态学的许多相关方面产生深远的影响，包括栖息地偏好，觅食策略，迁移模式和父母的照顾。为了了解翅膀和腿在发育和进化过程中如何独立和合作发挥作用的生态后果，研究人员将在澳大利亚刷火鸡（Alectura lathami）的整个发育过程中测量翅膀和腿的形态和运动性能。这些数据将进行比较，我们以前的研究与两个物种具有不同的运动发育模式[绿头鸭（阿纳斯platyrhynchos）和chukar鹧鸪（Alecomarchukar）]，这些比较将提供新的见解腿和翅膀的结构和力学的运动在少年和成年鸟类。该项目整合了几个生物学科的方法，因此结果将具有广泛的意义。 该项目将对本科生进行科学调查原则的培训。 此外，调查人员将通过向几个团体（蒙大拿州奥杜邦协会，向上的约束，环境记者协会，蒙大拿州女童子军）和流行的媒体（历史频道，国家地理）发表演讲，向公众传播他们的结果。

Among the 10,000 species of living birds and their extinct dinosaurian ancestors, the relative size of, and investment in wings versus legs varies dramatically. This variation probably has profound effects on locomotor performance and many related aspects of bird ecology, including habitat preferences, foraging strategies, migration patterns, and parental care. In an effort to understand the ecological ramifications of how wings and legs function independently and cooperatively during development and evolution, the investigators will measure wing and leg morphology and locomotor performance in Australian brush turkeys (Alectura lathami) throughout their development. These data will be compared to previous studies we have conducted with two species having different patterns of locomotor development [mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) and chukar partridges (Alectoris chukar)], and these comparisons will provide new insight into leg and wing structure and the mechanics of movement in juvenile and adult birds. This project integrates the approaches of several biological disciplines and so the result will be broadly significant. This project will train undergraduate students in principles of scientific investigation. In addition, the investigators will disseminate their result to the public by making presentations to several groups (Montana Audobon Society, Upward Bound, the Society of Environmental Journalists, the Montana Girl Scouts) and to popular media outlets (History Channel, National Geographic).