DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Developmental mechanisms organizing affiliative behavior and pair bonding

雄性和雌性之间的长期配对（选择性归属）在哺乳动物中很少见，但在鸟类中却是一种非常常见的生殖安排。选择性的归属始于发育早期的父母和家庭，并在个体成年后转向异性伴侣。该项目利用形成终生密切合作伙伴关系的常见实验室物种——斑胸草雀，研究这种选择性亲和行为的发展及其神经和激素机制。该研究的目的是检验这样的假设：大脑九肽精氨酸加压素（AVT，鸟类加压素同源物）在斑胸草雀发育的两个关键时期的亲和行为组织中发挥着重要作用：1）离开巢穴之前的生命早期和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激素受体基因的表达和大脑中相同神经元的神经活动，从而建立神经系统变化和亲和行为变化之间的因果关系。这项研究将提供有关鸟类选择性归属机制的新信息，然后可以将其与社会一夫一妻制哺乳动物的机制进行比较。因此，这项研究有可能加深对大脑和激素如何在包括人类在内的所有动物中产生密切关系的理解。该研究项目将有助于培训将在实验室工作的本科生，包括女性和代表性不足的少数族裔。此外，这项工作的结果将立即发表在广大研究人员可以访问的期刊上，并在全国会议上发表。结果将通过网站和针对中学生的外展计划向公众传播。所有数字形式的记录和数据都将使用 CU 图书馆的存档服务（包括 eCommons）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在康奈尔大学存档。

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/).