Chemical and vibratory communication: testing the role of spider silk in a reproductive context

化学和振动通讯：测试蜘蛛丝在生殖环境中的作用

• 批准号: 470442873
• 负责人: Dr. Monika J.B. Eberhard
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Abteilung Evolutionsökologie
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Grants
• 资助国家: 德国
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/470442873?language=en
• 关键词: Chemical; vibratory; communication; testing; role

Understanding the functional role of multimodal signalling is key to the study of animal communication. In a reproductive context, animals communicate with each other using a complex interplay of sensory modalities which ultimately affect their reproductive success and fitness. The proposed research will make use of the spider Pisaura mirabilis, a model organism in the study of sexual selection, to uncover the functional roles of chemical and vibratory signals by addressing silk-borne communication between the sexes. Spiders represent an excellent group for studying chemical- and vibratory-based signalling due to their poor vision in most taxa and the production of silk, a key source and/or vehicle of chemicals and vibrations. Through a series of behavioural assays, coupled with structural analyses of silk and measures of male reproductive fitness, we will determine whether and how chemical and vibratory signalling affect reproductive outcomes. We will answer whether signalling is condition and/or state dependent and if individuals employ specific mate choice tactics for partners varying in their signalling efforts. We will also explore the role of silk in facilitating the transmission of chemical and vibratory information contents. We hypothesize that chemical and vibratory signals convey crucial information to the opposite sex in a mating context, with females signalling their location and/or quality to males, and, given the high costs of nuptial gift production for males, males employing specific mate choice tactics for females varying in their reproductive value. The information generated in this interdisciplinary project will shed light on the adaptive nature of multimodal signalling, and fill the knowledge gap on the use of chemical and vibrational channels for reproduction.

了解多模态信号的功能作用是研究动物交流的关键。在生殖环境中，动物通过复杂的感官方式相互作用进行交流，最终影响它们的生殖成功和健康。这项拟议中的研究将利用蜘蛛Pisaura mirabilis，一种研究性选择的模式生物，通过解决两性之间的丝传播通信来揭示化学和振动信号的功能作用。蜘蛛是研究化学和振动信号的优秀群体，因为它们在大多数分类群中视力不佳，并且产生丝，这是化学物质和振动的关键来源和/或载体。通过一系列的行为分析，再加上丝的结构分析和男性生殖健康的措施，我们将确定是否以及如何化学和振动信号影响生殖结果。我们将回答信号是否是条件和/或状态依赖，如果个人采用特定的择偶策略的合作伙伴不同，在他们的信号的努力。我们还将探讨丝在促进化学和振动信息内容的传输中的作用。我们假设，化学和振动信号传达关键信息的异性在交配的情况下，与女性信号的位置和/或质量的男性，并考虑到高成本的男性的婚姻礼物生产，男性采用特定的择偶策略的女性不同的生殖价值。在这个跨学科的项目中产生的信息将揭示多模态信号的适应性，并填补了关于使用化学和振动通道进行繁殖的知识空白。