Sensory Bases and Evolution of Interspecific Eavesdropping

雄性经常使用明显的信号来吸引雌性，但在这样做的时候，它们也可能吸引寄生虫的注意。一个物种是如何拥有窃听其他物种信号的能力的？本计画将结合行为、声学、生物力学、生理等多层次的分析方法，以实验室与野外实验，全面探讨以蛙鸣声为归巢的蠓类的偷听行为。这项调查将描述吸浆虫的耳朵，并将吸浆虫的听觉能力与其进化起源联系起来。该项目将最终确定的感官和行为的适应驱动的生态和进化的窃听在蛙类叮咬蠓。智力优点：该项目将解决一个长期存在的生物奥秘，通过探索动物物种之间的窃听的起源。通过研究昆虫听觉的进化创新，这项研究将对麦克风设计，生物声学以及性和剥削交流的共同进化产生影响。此外，蚊-蛙系统与蚊子-人类关系有相似之处，这扩大了这里讨论的问题的进化范围。总的来说，了解窃听的进化和感觉生态学的机制将增加我们对动物交流系统中剥削的理解。更广泛的影响：在动物交流和神经行为学的尖端技术方面培训本科生和研究生将是本项目的重要组成部分。其他的教育活动将包括在小学举办关于青蛙叫声行为和窃听者的讲习班，以激发人们对动物行为和科学的兴趣和热情。

Males often use conspicuous signals to attract females but, in doing so, they may also attract the unwanted attention of parasites. How does one species come to have the ability to eavesdrop on the signals of other species? This project will address this question integrating multiple levels of analysis (behavioral, acoustical, biomechanical, and physiological) in laboratory and field experiments to comprehensively investigate eavesdropping behavior in of midges that home-in on the calls of singing frogs. This investigation will characterize the midge's ear and relate the midge's hearing ability to its evolutionary origins. This project will ultimately determine the sensory and behavioral adaptations driven the ecology and evolution of eavesdropping in frog-biting midges.Intellectual Merit: The project will address a long-standing biological mystery by exploring the origins of eavesdropping of between animal species. By examining an evolutionary innovations in insect hearing, this study will have implications for microphone design, bioacoustics and the co-evolution of sexual and exploitive communication. In addition, the midge-frog system has parallels to the mosquito-human relationship, which enlarges the evolutionary scope of the questions addressed here. Overall, understanding the mechanisms underlying the evolution and sensory ecology of eavesdropping will increase our understanding of exploitation in animal communication systems.Broader Impacts: Training of undergraduate and graduate students in cutting edge techniques in animal communication and neuroethology will be an important component of this project. Additional educational activities will include workshops at elementary schools about frog calling behavior and eavesdroppers to generate interest and enthusiasm about animal behavior and science in general.