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

在现存的1万种鸟类和它们已灭绝的恐龙祖先中，翅膀和腿的相对大小以及对翅膀和腿的投入差别很大。这种变异可能对运动表现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、迁徙模式和亲代照顾。为了了解翅膀和腿在发育和进化过程中如何独立和合作运作的生态后果，研究人员将测量澳大利亚灌木火鸡（Alectura lathami）在整个发育过程中的翅膀和腿形态和运动表现。这些数据将与我们之前对两种具有不同运动发育模式的物种[绿头鸭（Anas platyrhynchos）和楚卡鹧鸪（Alectoris chukar）]进行的研究进行比较，这些比较将为幼鸟和成年鸟的腿和翅膀结构以及运动机制提供新的见解。这个项目整合了几个生物学学科的方法，因此结果将具有广泛的意义。本项目将培养本科生科学调查原理。此外，调查人员将通过向几个团体（蒙大拿州奥杜邦协会、向上发展协会、环境记者协会、蒙大拿州女童子军）和大众媒体（历史频道、国家地理）发表报告，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).