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能够在不发生遗传变化的情况下迅速适应不断变化的环境条件。灵长类动物的寿命相对较长，它们栖息在新的栖息地和在快速环境变化时期生存下来的进化能力可能取决于这些类型的可塑性。目前需要有关灵长类动物行为和生理可塑性的信息，以了解它们的反应的性质和限制，以及灵长类动物可能能够用来应对它们目前正在经历的快速环境变化的适应性。这个博士研究项目调查了濒危猿类的可塑性如何塑造对可变高海拔环境的适应。除了其重要的保护意义，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。 这个研究项目探讨了一种濒危猿类的行为和生理可塑性。到目前为止，我们不知道环境压力如何在这个物种的许多栖息地变化，我们缺乏关于这些猿类对这些压力做出反应的行为和生理反应类型的信息。在这项研究中使用的方法包括一个新的环境协议，非侵入性的行为观察，和生物样本收集。这些数据可以揭示这个物种面临的环境挑战，以及它所引发的行为和生理反应。这项研究让我们了解到这种猿类物种对环境变化的反应能力，以及环境压力对灵长类和其他生命史缓慢的生物体所起的进化作用。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。