NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2019: The function of vocal learning ability in African elephants

这一行动为NSF 2019财年生物学博士后研究奖学金提供资金，扩大了生物学领域代表性不足群体的参与。该奖学金支持一项针对该研究员的研究和培训计划，该计划将增加生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与。人类语言的一个关键属性是语音学习，即学习发出新声音的能力，这种能力只在有限的其他物种中存在。因此，了解少数几个语音学习进化的案例可以帮助我们了解语言的进化起源。发声学习的一个可能功能是，它允许动物发出更像其社会群体成员的叫声，这是群体成员身份的标志。另一个可能的功能是让动物学习独特的声音来称呼特定的个体，类似于人类使用名字的方式。这位研究员将在非洲大象身上测试这两个假说，在非洲大象中，发声学习是已知的，但人们对此知之甚少。了解大象为什么会发展发声学习，可以提供对导致人类祖先这种不同寻常但重要的能力进化的条件的洞察。该项目还将为来自代表性不足群体的学生提供指导和外展计划，并将有助于该研究员的专业发展。为了检验大象学习群体身份的声音签名的假设，该研究员将确定群体成员的呼唤是否比不同群体成员的呼唤更相似，而不是与亲属关系无关。为了确定大象是否在个人或群体层面上识别亲密和遥远的伙伴，大象将回放来自同一呼叫者的两个重叠呼叫，只有当他们在个人层面识别呼叫者时，这才应该违反受试者的预期。为了检验大象用声音标记相同细节的假设，这位研究员将确定接触呼叫的声学结构是否会随着预期的呼叫接收者而变化，以及个体是否更有可能对最初针对他们的呼叫的回放做出反应，而不是与呼叫者的身份无关。这位研究员将磨练声学分析和统计方面的定量技能，并将通过与赞助实验室的其他成员合作获得保护生物学方面的职业提升经验。该研究员还将指导进行声学生态学研究的本科生，并在当地拉美裔服务学校授课。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2019, Broadening Participation of Groups Under-represented in Biology. The fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. A key attribute of human language is vocal learning, or the ability to learn to produce new sounds, which is only found in a limited number of other species. Understanding the few cases in which vocal learning has evolved could therefore shed light on the evolutionary origins of language. One possible function of vocal learning is that it allows animals to make their calls sound more like those of their social group members, which serves as a sign of group membership. Another possible function is to allow animals to learn unique sounds to address specific individuals, similar to the way in which humans use names. The Fellow will test both of these hypotheses in African elephants, in which vocal learning is known to occur but is poorly understood. Understanding why elephants have developed vocal learning could provide insight into the conditions that led to the evolution of this unusual but important ability in human ancestors. This project will also provide mentorship and outreach programs for students from underrepresented groups, and will contribute to the Fellow's professional development.To test the hypothesis that elephants learn vocal signatures of group identity, the Fellow will determine if the calls of group members are more similar than the calls of members of different groups independent of relatedness. To determine if elephants recognize close and distant associates at the individual or group level, the Fellow will play back two overlapping calls from the same caller, which should only violate the subjects' expectations if they recognize the caller at the individual level. To test the hypothesis that elephants vocally label conspecifics, the Fellow will determine whether the acoustic structure of a contact call varies according to the intended recipient of the call, and whether individuals are more likely to respond to playbacks of a call that was originally directed towards them, independent of the identity of the caller. The Fellow will hone quantitative skills in acoustic analysis and statistics, and will gain career-enhancing experience in conservation biology through collaboration with other members of the sponsoring lab. The Fellow will also mentor undergraduates conducting acoustic ecology research, and teach workshops at local Hispanic-serving schools.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.