Genetic basis of reproductive and plumage polymorphism in the ruff

个别动物的行为通常表现出灵活性，但有些行为是由基因决定的。遗传固定的另类行为的一个极端例子发生在涉水鸟--Riff身上。长颈鹿有一个“Lek”交配系统，在这个系统中，雄性将所有的精力都投入到吸引雌性与它们交配上，而不是花在父母的照顾上。区域繁殖的雄性在脖子和头上有壮观的羽毛，颜色差异很大，所以每一只在Lek的雄性都是可以区分的。其他非领土“卫星”雄性，可以通过它们的白色羽毛区分出来，专注于从领土上展示的雄性中“窃取”交配对象。男性是否成为领地个体或附属个体是由基因决定的。卫星基本上寄生在领土上，尽管有证据表明，少数卫星的存在可能会使领土受益。最近发现了第三种模仿雌性的雄性。这种寄生的雄性能够在LEK躲避其他雄性，从而避免领土侵犯，并通过从栖息的雄性那里窃取配偶而成功。这项研究的目的是使用基因组测序来识别使雄性以这三种不同方式表现的基因。我们想了解这三种不同的策略如何在种群中共存，以及它们是如何进化的。我们还计划发现遗传机制，以解释为什么雄性的羽毛如此多样化。这些机制很可能是相同的，产生了一些我们通常只在物种之间看到的类似差异。最后，我们想要发现确保羽毛模式和行为共同遗传的机制。

Individual animals usually exhibit flexibility in their behaviour, but some behaviours are genetically determined. An extreme example of genetically fixed alternative behaviours occurs in a wading bird, the ruff. The ruff has a "lek" mating system in which males invest all their energy into attracting females to mate with them, and none into parental care. Territorial breeding males have spectacular plumes around their neck and head, and vary enormously in colouration, so that each male at the lek is distinguishable. Other nonterritorial "satellite" males, which are distinguishable by their white feathers, concentrate on "stealing" matings from territorial displaying males. Whether a male becomes a territorial or satellite individual is genetically determined. Satellites are essentially parasitic on territorials, though there is evidence that territorials may benefit from the presence of a small number of satellites. A third type of male, which mimics females, was recently discovered. This parasitic male is able to "hide" from the other males at the lek, so avoiding territorial aggression, and also succeeds by stealing matings from the resident males. The purpose of this study is to use genome sequencing to identify the genes that make the males behave in these three different ways. We want to understand how the three different strategies can coexist in the population, and how they have evolved. We also plan to discover the genetic mechanism to explain why males are so diverse in their plumage. These mechanisms are likely to be the same ones that produce some of the similar variation that we normally only see between species. Finally, we want to discover the mechanism that ensures that the plumage pattern and behaviour are co-inherited.