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

该行动为2019财年美国国家科学基金会生物学博士后研究奖学金提供资金，扩大生物学中代表性不足群体的参与。该奖学金支持研究员的一项研究和培训计划，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发声学习，或学习发出新声音的能力，这种能力只存在于少数其他物种中。因此，了解声音学习进化的少数案例可以揭示语言的进化起源。发声学习的一个可能功能是，它允许动物使它们的叫声听起来更像它们的社会群体成员，这是群体成员的标志。另一个可能的功能是允许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。研究员将在非洲大象身上测试这两种假设，已知非洲大象会学习声音，但对其了解甚少。了解大象为什么会发展出声音学习能力，可以让我们深入了解导致人类祖先进化出这种不寻常但重要的能力的条件。该项目还将为来自弱势群体的学生提供指导和拓展计划，并将有助于研究员的专业发展。为了验证大象学习群体身份的声音特征这一假设，研究员将确定群体成员的叫声是否比不同群体成员的叫声更相似，而不依赖于亲属关系。为了确定大象是否在个体或群体层面上识别出亲密和疏远的同伴，研究员将播放来自同一呼叫者的两个重叠的呼叫，只有当它们在个体层面上识别呼叫者时，这才会违反受试者的期望。为了验证大象会用声音标记同种动物的假设，研究员将确定接触呼叫的声学结构是否会根据呼叫的预期接收者而变化，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，而与呼叫者的身份无关。该研究员将磨练声学分析和统计方面的定量技能，并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经验。该研究员还将指导本科生进行声学生态学研究，并在当地为西班牙裔服务的学校教授讲习班。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值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.