INTER-RELATIONS OF TERRITORIAL BEHAVIOR & PHYSIOLOGY

本项目的目标是描述和评估机制 自然动物种群的繁殖行为，目的是 利用收集到的信息， 人类使用的决策过程。 人类和其他 动物决定在哪里进行不同的活动， 这些决定会影响随后的配偶选择， 居住和生殖区域、逃生路线和觅食区域。 因为一个有机体的“心理健康”和幸福可能反映了 这些决策过程的有效性， 我们有充分的理由相信， 关键生命的决策机制 栖息地、配偶和领土等因素，最终将 有助于临床知识和治疗。 具体而言，该研究基于监测研究中心的选择， 领土，繁殖成功，在一个大的，彩色标记 红翼黑鸟的种群，并补充了以下数据 在同一研究区域繁殖黄头黑鸟。 这 对已知个体的长期监测， 在人类身上不可能的操纵实验， 提供关于雄性如何获得繁殖领地的数据， 他们利用这些信息来最大化他们成为 或获得更高质量的领土。 此外，本发明还提供了一种方法， 实地监测领土和非领土居民的血液激素水平， 领地雄性，将揭示荷尔蒙状态如何影响 在繁殖季节的行为，以及如何行为，反过来， 影响荷尔蒙水平

The objective of this project is to describe and assess mechanisms of breeding behavior in a natural animal population, with the aim of using the information gathered to better understand similar decision-making processes used by human beings. Humans and other animals make decisions concerning where to engage in different activities and these decisions affect subsequent choices of mates, dwelling and reproductive areas, escape routes, and foraging areas. Since the "mental health" and well-being of an organism may reflect the effectiveness of these decision-making processes, there is strong reason to believe that enlarging our pool of knowledge concerning mechanisms of decision-making about crucial life factors, such habitats, mates, and territories, will eventually contribute to clinical knowledge and treatments. Specifically, the study is based on monitoring site selection, territoriality, and reproductive success in a large, color-marked population of Red-winged Blackbirds, supplemented by data on breeding Yellow-headed Blackbirds on the same study area. This long-term monitoring of known individuals, combined with manipulative experiments that would be impossible with humans, will provide data on how males obtain breeding territories and what information they use to maximize their chances of becoming territorial or to acquire higher quality territories. In addition, field monitoring of blood hormone levels of territorial and non- territorial males, will reveal how hormonal states influence behavior during the breeding season and how behavior, in turn, influences hormone levels.