Doctoral Dissertation Research: Guenon face patterns and the maintenance of primate reproductive isolation

博士论文研究：Guenon 面部模式与灵长类动物生殖隔离的维持

• 批准号: 1613378
• 负责人: James Higham
• 金额: $ 2.26万
• 依托单位: New York University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-07-15 至 2019-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1613378&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Guenon; face

Reproduction and mate choice are key components of evolution because they affect how species are formed and maintained. In primates, there are several examples of closely-related primate species living in overlapping geographic ranges. How do these animals distinguish between members of their own versus other species when looking for mates? This doctoral dissertation project is an investigation of the role of face patterns and behavioral displays in maintaining reproductive isolation in the guenons, a group of forest monkey species in Africa that exhibit an extraordinary variety of colorful face patterns. Innovative methods will be used to measure and analyze the monkeys' appearance and their behavior related to members of their own species and closely-related species. Computer code and methodological details will be made freely available, and the project will support education and diversity in science through undergraduate training and K-12 science education outreach. The investigators will also be involved in scientific and biodiversity conservation outreach programs at their research site, and the project will foster international collaborations between research and conservation organizations in the USA and Nigeria. Identifying appropriate mates is potentially challenging for closely-related species with overlapping geographic ranges. One mechanism for preventing matings between different species is the evolution of signals that advertise species membership and that are used in mate choice to maintain reproductive isolation. Previous research has demonstrated that guenons can be classified by species based on images of their faces, and that facial distinctiveness increases with the degree of range overlap. However, the behavioral mechanisms by which a system of facial distinctiveness and associative mate choice might operate remain unclear. In this project, researchers will assess if and how guenons discriminate between species, and how variation in face patterns and behavioral displays influences mating decisions. To answer this question, researchers will: (1) identify regions of guenon faces critically important for species classification using computer vision algorithms; (2) assess guenon visual biases for same versus different species faces using a discrimination task with live guenons; (3) quantify behavioral displays and investigate their relationship with facial morphology using computer vision algorithms; and (4) document the ways in which guenon morphology and behavior are used in the wild using behavioral observations. This research will help to clarify the extent to which guenon face patterns function as signals of species membership, and how guenon morphologies and behaviors interact to influence their mating decisions. Ultimately, the results of this project will help us understand the relationship between phenotypic diversity and reproductive isolation.

繁殖和配偶选择是进化的关键组成部分，因为它们影响物种的形成和维持。在灵长类动物中，有几个生活在重叠地理范围内的密切相关的灵长类物种的例子。这些动物在寻找配偶时如何区分自己的成员和其他物种的成员？ 这个博士论文项目是调查的面孔模式和行为显示在维持生殖隔离的长尾猴，一组森林猴子物种在非洲，表现出各种各样的丰富多彩的面孔模式的作用。创新的方法将被用来测量和分析猴子的外观和他们的行为有关的成员自己的物种和密切相关的物种。计算机代码和方法细节将免费提供，该项目将通过本科生培训和K-12科学教育推广来支持科学教育和多样性。研究人员还将参与其研究地点的科学和生物多样性保护外展计划，该项目将促进美国和尼日利亚的研究和保护组织之间的国际合作。 对于地理范围重叠的密切相关物种来说，确定适当的配偶可能具有挑战性。阻止不同物种之间交配的一种机制是进化出一些信号，这些信号可以宣传物种的成员资格，并用于配偶选择以维持生殖隔离。先前的研究已经证明，长尾猴可以根据它们的面部图像按物种进行分类，并且面部的独特性随着范围重叠的程度而增加。然而，面部特征和联想择偶系统的行为机制仍不清楚。在这个项目中，研究人员将评估长尾猴是否以及如何区分物种，以及面部模式和行为表现的变化如何影响交配决定。为了回答这个问题，研究人员将：（1）使用计算机视觉算法识别对物种分类至关重要的长尾猴面部区域;（2）使用活长尾猴的辨别任务评估长尾猴对相同与不同物种面部的视觉偏见;（3）量化行为显示并使用计算机视觉算法研究它们与面部形态的关系;以及（4）通过行为观察记录长尾猴的形态和行为在野外的使用方式。这项研究将有助于澄清在何种程度上长尾猴面孔模式的功能作为物种成员的信号，以及长尾猴的形态和行为如何相互作用，影响他们的交配决策。最终，该项目的结果将帮助我们了解表型多样性和生殖隔离之间的关系。