Collaborative Research: Adaptive plasticity, timing, and population divergence in a songbird species

这项研究询问动物如何知道是否以及何时迁徙以及何时繁殖。焦点动物是一种鸣禽，其种群具有不同的繁殖范围，但在是否迁徙方面存在差异。当春天到来时，非候鸟开始繁殖，而非候鸟尽管生活在相同的环境中，但推迟了繁殖。对解释对相同环境的不同反应的机制的研究，可能有助于解释动物如何监控环境并根据自己的需要调整自己的生理。黑眼睛的Junco是一只唱歌的鸟，也是解决这些问题的理想模式。这个项目将使用荷尔蒙“挑战”和药物操作来研究激素系统的可塑性。它还将探索来自最近分化的种群(加利福尼亚州)和长期分化的种群(弗吉尼亚州)的居留和迁徙种群之间的基因表达差异，这些种群在一起越冬，但在不同的地点不同的时间繁殖。预测是，移民在应对挑战方面将与居民有所不同，最近分化的人口将比更早前分化的人口差异更小。另一种预测是，与最近分化的种群相比，长期分化的种群在共同花园中的基因表达将有所不同。更广泛的影响这项研究将加强对为什么以及如何一些动物能够在不断变化的环境中茁壮成长的理解，而其他动物的活动范围却在缩小，一些物种正在消失。这项研究将为培养研究生和本科生提供大量机会，所获得的知识将得到广泛传播。该项目将促进一部以研究物种为主角的纪录片，并设计用于高中和成人学习者的公共场所。数据管理。发表的论文中的数据支持结果将在Genbank和/或Dryad上提供。这项研究产生的所有数据都将存档在印第安纳大学图书馆(https://scholarworks.iu.edu/dspace/handle/2022/7911).维护的在线储存库中

This research asks how animals know whether and when to migrate and when to breed. The focal animal is a songbird in which populations with separate breeding ranges winter together but differ in whether or not they migrate. When spring arrives the non-migrants begin to breed, while the non-migrants delay breeding despite living in the same environment. Research on the mechanisms that account for different responses to identical environments could help to explain how animals monitor the environment and adjust their physiology to their needs. The dark-eyed junco is a songbird and an ideal model to address these questions. This project will investigate plasticity in hormone systems using hormonal "challenges" and pharmacological manipulations. It will also explore differences in gene expression between resident and migratory juncos from recently diverged populations (California) and longer diverged populations (in Virginia) that over-winter together but breed in different places at different times. The prediction is that migrants will differ from residents in their response to challenges and that recently diverged populations will differ less than populations that diverged longer ago. Another prediction is that gene expression in a common garden will differ between longer diverged populations as compared with recently diverged populations. Broader impacts The research will enhance understanding of why and how some animals are able to thrive in changing environments, while other animals' ranges retreat, and some species are lost. This research will provide numerous opportunities to train graduate and undergraduate students, and knowledge gained will be disseminated broadly. The project will enable promotion of a documentary film starring the study species and designed for use in high schools and public venues for adult learners. Data Management.Data supporting results in published papers will be made available on Genbank and/or Dryad. All data generated from this research will be archived in an online repository maintained by the Indiana University Library (https://scholarworks.iu.edu/dspace/handle/2022/7911).