DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Developmental mechanisms organizing affiliative behavior and pair bonding

雄性和雌性之间的长期配对(选择性配对)在哺乳动物中很少见，但在鸟类中是一种非常常见的生殖安排。选择性亲子关系始于发育早期的父母和家庭，并在个体成年后切换到异性伴侣。这个项目使用一种形成终身密切合作伙伴关系的常见实验室物种斑马雀，研究这种选择性附属行为的发展及其神经和激素机制。本研究的目的是验证一种假设，即在斑雀发育的两个关键时期，脑内九肽精氨酸加压素(AVT，加压素的鸟类同系物)在附属行为的组织中发挥重要作用：1)在离开巢之前的早期生活和2)从幼年到成年的过渡期间。这项研究旨在通过使用一种先进的技术来测量大脑中相同神经元中激素受体基因的表达和神经活动，从而建立神经系统变化和附属行为变化之间的因果联系。这项研究将提供有关鸟类选择性结合机制的新信息，然后可以将其与社会性一夫一妻制哺乳动物的机制进行比较。因此，这项研究有可能增加对大脑和荷尔蒙如何在包括人类在内的所有动物中产生密切关系的理解。这一研究项目将有助于培训将在实验室工作的本科生，包括妇女和代表性不足的少数民族。此外，这项工作的成果将迅速在期刊上发表，供广大研究人员查阅，并在国家会议上介绍。结果将通过一个网站和针对中学女生的推广计划向公众传播。所有数字形式的记录和数据都将在康奈尔大学使用CU图书馆(包括eCommons)的存档服务或目前在研究数据管理服务小组(http://data.research.cornell.edu/).)领导下开发的其他服务进行存档

Long-term pairing (selective affiliation) between males and females is rare in mammals, but is a very common reproductive arrangement in birds. Selective affiliation begins with parents and family early in development and switches to the opposite-sex pair partner as the individual reaches adulthood. Using a common laboratory species that forms lifelong close cooperative pair relationships, the zebra finch, this project investigates the development of such selective affiliative behavior and its neural and hormonal mechanisms. The goal of the research is to test the hypothesis that the brain nonapeptide arginine vasotocin (AVT, avian homolog of vasopressin) plays an important role in the organization of affiliative behavior at two critical periods in development in the zebra finch: 1) early in life prior to leaving the nest and 2) during the transition from juvenile to adult life. This research aims to establish a causal link between changes in the nervous system and changes in affiliative behavior by using an advanced technique that measures the expression of a hormone receptor gene and neural activity in the same neurons in the brain. The research will provide new information on the mechanisms of selective affiliation in birds, which can then be compared to the mechanisms operating in socially monogamous mammals. Thus, this study has the potential to increase understanding of how brains and hormones produce close relationships in all animals, including humans. This research project will contribute to the training of undergraduates, including women and underrepresented minorities, who will be working in the laboratory. Additionally, the results from this work will be promptly published in journals accessed by a broad audience of researchers and presented at national meetings. The results will be disseminated to the public through a website and outreach programs for middle school girls.All recordings and data in digital form will be archived at Cornell University using the archiving services of the CU Library (including eCommons) or other services that are currently under development under the leadership of the Research Data Management Service Group (http://data.research.cornell.edu/).