Doctoral Dissertation Research: Adaptation to environmental extremes in a great ape

博士论文研究：类人猿对极端环境的适应

• 批准号: 2341172
• 负责人: Stacy Rosenbaum
• 金额: $ 3.14万
• 依托单位: Regents of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-02-15 至 2026-01-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2341172&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Adaptation; environmental

Behavioral and physiological plasticity allows organisms to rapidly adapt to shifting environmental conditions without genetic change. In primates, which are relatively long-lived, the evolutionary ability to inhabit new habitats and survive periods of rapid environmental change likely depended on these types of plasticity. Information about primates’ behavioral and physiological plasticity is currently needed to understand the nature and limits of their responses and the adaptations primates may be able to use to respond to the rapid environmental change they are currently experiencing. This doctoral research project investigates how adaptation to a variable high-elevation environment is shaped by an endangered ape’s plasticity. In addition to its significant conservation implications, this project makes important education, training, and capacity building contributions both domestically and internationally. This research project explores the behavioral and physiological plasticity of an endangered ape species. To date, we do not know how environmental stressors vary across this species' many habitats, and we lack information about the types of behavioral and physiological responses these apes employ to respond to these stressors. The methods used in this study include a novel environmental protocol, non-invasive behavioral observations, and biological sample collection. These data can reveal the environmental challenges this species faces, and the behavioral and physiological responses it elicits. This study informs us about the ability that this ape species has to respond to environmental change, and the evolutionary role that environmental stressors play on primates and other organisms with slow life histories.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.

行为和生理可塑性使生物体能够在不发生遗传变化的情况下迅速适应变化的环境条件。在相对长寿的灵长类动物中，居住在新栖息地和在快速环境变化时期生存的进化能力可能依赖于这些类型的可塑性。目前需要关于灵长类动物行为和生理可塑性的信息，以了解它们反应的性质和限度，以及灵长类动物可能能够用来应对目前正在经历的快速环境变化的适应能力。这项博士研究项目调查了濒临灭绝的类人猿的可塑性如何塑造了对多变的高海拔环境的适应。除了具有重要的保护意义外，该项目还在国内和国际上做出了重要的教育、培训和能力建设贡献。这项研究项目探索了一种濒危类人猿物种的行为和生理可塑性。到目前为止，我们还不知道环境应激源在这个物种的许多栖息地是如何变化的，我们也缺乏关于这些类人猿用来对这些应激源做出反应的行为和生理反应类型的信息。本研究中使用的方法包括新的环境方案、非侵入性行为观察和生物样本采集。这些数据可以揭示该物种面临的环境挑战，以及由此引发的行为和生理反应。这项研究告诉我们这种类人猿物种对环境变化的反应能力，以及环境应激源对灵长类和其他具有慢生命历史的生物所起的进化作用。这一奖项反映了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。