Spiders on the clock: the ecological implications and neurohormonal underpinnings of circadian rhythm in foraging and antipredator behavior

时钟上的蜘蛛：觅食和反捕食行为中昼夜节律的生态影响和神经激素基础

• 批准号: 1257133
• 负责人: Thomas Jones
• 金额: $ 41.5万
• 依托单位: East Tennessee State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-05-15 至 2017-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1257133&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Spiders; clock; ecological; implications; neurohormonal

Nearly all living things, including humans, have daily biological rhythms. This "internal clock" helps regulate physiological and behavioral changes over the course of a twenty-four hour period. This study will test the hypothesis that the internal clock conveys an advantage to individuals by allowing them to anticipate, and adjust to, changing conditions. The project will explore connections between rhythms in aggression and wariness and the internal clock in orb-weaving spiders. Spiders are a particularly good model organism for such work because they are both predators and prey, and, thus, must balance aggression and wariness to be successful. Spiders are also practical because their behaviors are easily measured and experimentally altered. Initially, this study will describe the relative influences of the internal clock and external cues of a variety of aggression-related behaviors. The role of brain chemistry and in regulating aggression will also be studied by measuring hormone levels in individuals. Finally, this study will test how daily changes in aggression levels relate to changes in the organism's environment. This work will provide much-needed insight into the regulation of behavioral rhythms, and how the environment influences them. Along with gains in basic research, this project will provide substantial educational opportunities for students in the Southern Appalachian region. This project will support three graduate students and provide six summer fellowships for undergraduate students.

几乎所有的生物，包括人类，都有日常的生物节律。这种“内部时钟”有助于在24小时内调节生理和行为变化。这项研究将检验这样一种假设，即内部时钟通过允许个体预测和适应不断变化的环境，向个体传递一种优势。该项目将探索攻击和警惕的节奏与织球蜘蛛的内部时钟之间的联系。蜘蛛是这种工作的一个特别好的模式生物，因为它们既是捕食者又是猎物，因此必须在攻击性和警惕性之间取得平衡才能成功。蜘蛛也很实用，因为它们的行为很容易被测量和实验改变。首先，本研究将描述各种攻击相关行为的内部时钟和外部线索的相对影响。通过测量个体体内的激素水平，还将研究大脑化学和调节攻击性的作用。最后，这项研究将测试攻击水平的日常变化与生物体环境的变化之间的关系。这项工作将为行为节律的调节以及环境如何影响它们提供急需的见解。随着基础研究的进展，该项目将为阿巴拉契亚南部地区的学生提供大量的教育机会。该项目将资助3名研究生，并为6名本科生提供暑期奖学金。