INTER-RELATIONS OF TERRITORIAL BEHAVIOR & PHYSIOLOGY

本项目的目标是描述和评估机制 在自然动物种群中的繁殖行为，目的是 利用收集的信息更好地理解类似的 人类使用的决策过程。人类和其他 动物决定在哪里从事不同的活动 活动和这些决定会影响随后的配偶选择， 栖息区和繁殖区、逃生路线和觅食区。 因为一个生物体的“心理健康”和幸福感可以反映 这些决策过程的有效性，有 我们有充分的理由相信，扩大我们的知识库 关于关键生命的决策机制 栖息地、配偶和领地等因素最终将 为临床知识和治疗做出贡献。 具体地说，这项研究是基于监测点的选择， 领地，和繁殖成功在一个大的，有颜色标记的 红翼黑鸟的数量，并补充了关于 在同一研究区域繁殖黄头黑鸟。这 对已知个人的长期监测，结合 人类不可能进行的操纵性实验，将 提供关于雄性如何获得繁殖区域以及什么的数据 他们用来最大化他们成为 领土或获得更高质量的领土。此外, 地方性和非地方性疾病患者血液激素水平现场监测 领地雄性，将揭示荷尔蒙状态如何影响 在繁殖季节的行为，以及行为是如何反过来， 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.