High speed video of anuran larval behaviour

蝌蚪看起来很简单，但它们的行为却非常复杂。例如，它们有转向偏向，这意味着它们在害怕时或在浮出水面呼吸空气后潜水时，转向一边的频率明显高于另一边。然而，一些物种更喜欢向左转，一些物种更喜欢向右转。为什么不同的物种会有这样的偏好尚不清楚。我研究的主要部分是为了了解这种“惯用手”在蝌蚪身上的适应意义。我想知道为什么蝌蚪有特殊的惯用手，以及它们的惯用手是否可以从它们的生态、大脑解剖和进化关系中预测出来。小蝌蚪也有精心设计的外部口器，它们可以用来感知、抓住，然后迅速撕裂藻类薄膜，然后将藻类薄膜吸入它们的嘴里作为食物。因此，除了研究蝌蚪的惯用手外，我还想知道拥有不寻常口器的蝌蚪在现实生活中是如何使用它们的。但我感兴趣的过程发生得非常快。例如，一些蝌蚪可以在不到100毫秒的时间内旋转180度，张开和闭上嘴巴的时间与你我眨眼的时间大致相同。要观察和研究这样的过程，需要一台高速摄像机。我正在为这样一台相机寻求NSERC的资金。为了研究不同种类的蝌蚪的行为和生物力学，我需要去一些青蛙动物种类比加拿大更多的地方。为了研究健康蝌蚪的自然行为，我需要对实验室中保存时间不长的蝌蚪进行实地研究。因此，我申请资金购买一台便携式、紧凑型、坚固耐用的高速摄像机，而且可以很容易地在现场使用。

Tadpoles, as simple as they appear, have remarkably complex behaviours. They have, for example, turning biases, which means that they turn significantly more often to one side than the other when scared or when diving after having come up to the surface for a gulp of air. However, some species prefer to turn to the left and some to the right. Why different species have such preferences is not known. A major part of my research is directed at understanding the adaptive significance of such "handedness" in tadpoles. I would like to know why tadpoles have the specific handedness that they do, and whether their handedness can be predicted from their ecology, brain anatomy, and evolutionary relationships.   Tadpoles also have elaborate external mouthparts with which they can sense, grasp, and then rapidly tear apart algal films, which are then drawn into their mouths for food. Thus, in addition to studying handedness in tadpoles, I would also like to know how tadpoles with unusual mouthparts use them in real life.   The processes that interest me occur very quickly. Some tadpoles, for example, can turn 180° in less than 100 ms and take about the same amount of time to open and close their mouths that you and I take to blink. To observe and study such processes, one needs a high-speed video camera. I am seeking NSERC funds for just such a camera.   To study the behaviour and biomechanics of a diversity of tadpoles I need to go places with a greater variety of frog fauna than occurs in Canada. To study the natural behaviours of healthy tadpoles I need to do field studies with tadpoles that have not been kept for a long time in the laboratory. I am therefore requesting funds for a high-speed video camera that is portable, compact, rugged, and that can be easily used in the field.