Mother knows best: an integrative study on the causes and fitness consequences of individual maternal strategies in the Australian zebra finch

母亲可以通过在生命早期阶段不同地分配资源来塑造后代的发展和行为。在动物界，从昆虫到人类，都描述过这种早期的母性影响，但它们对后代的长期影响却知之甚少。利用标志性的澳大利亚斑胸草雀，我将研究早期的母亲策略如何影响后代的晚年生活，包括他们的性行为和自己的繁殖。该项目处于这一主题生物学学科的前沿，将显著提高澳大利亚基础研究的国际形象。

Mothers can shape the development and behavior of their offspring by differentially allocating recourses at early life stages. Such early maternal effects have been described throughout the animal kingdom, from insects to man, their long-term consequences for the offspring are however poorly understood. Using the iconic Australian zebra finch, I will investigate how early maternal strategies can shape the offspring's later life, including their sexual behavior and own reproduction. This project is at the forefront of this topical biological discipline and will significantly rise the international profile of Australian basic research.