The ecology and evolution of behavioural plasticity

行为可塑性的生态学和进化

• 批准号: RGPIN-2016-05269
• 负责人: Dubois, Frédérique
• 金额: $ 2.04万
• 依托单位: Université de Montréal
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2016-01-01 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=615595
• 关键词: ecology; evolution; behavioural; plasticity

Behavioural plasticity is the ability of individuals to change their behaviour in response to variations in environmental (including social) conditions. Compared to individuals with fixed behaviours, plastic individuals should be able to alter their behaviour to maximize their success under any given circumstance. Yet, although natural selection should a priori erode variation in plasticity, individuals within populations generally differ widely among each other in their levels of behavioural plasticity. So far, the question of why and how these differences in behavioural plasticity are maintained has been mainly addressed from theoretical analyses, while most empirical studies have quantified these differences without regard to their origin or adaptive value. The proposed research aims at i) identifying the mechanisms that contribute to the maintenance of individual differences in behavioural plasticity and ii) determining the consequences of those differences for long-term persistence of populations under new or changing environmental conditions. Specifically the proposed program has three main goals: i) determining the importance of physiological constraints on the expression of individual plasticity, ii) establishing the links between personality and plasticity, and iii) understanding the role of sexual selection on the evolution of cognitive skills and behavioural plasticity. The research will use a mix of newly generated experimental data on zebra finches and theoretical approaches. Results from this program will be particularly relevant for conservation policies for species conservation and reintroduction. Furthermore, this research will contribute to the training of conceptual scientists that will acquire useful methodological skills to design experiments and generate testable theory.

行为可塑性是指个体改变其行为以应对环境（包括社会）条件变化的能力。与固定行为的个体相比，可塑性个体应该能够改变他们的行为，以在任何特定情况下最大限度地提高他们的成功。然而，尽管自然选择应该先验地侵蚀可塑性的变化，但种群内的个体在行为可塑性的水平上通常彼此差异很大。到目前为止，为什么以及如何保持这些差异的行为可塑性的问题主要是从理论分析，而大多数实证研究量化这些差异，而不考虑其起源或适应价值。拟议的研究旨在i）确定有助于维持行为可塑性个体差异的机制，ii）确定这些差异对种群在新的或不断变化的环境条件下长期持续存在的影响。具体而言，拟议的计划有三个主要目标：i）确定生理约束对个体可塑性表达的重要性，ii）建立个性和可塑性之间的联系，iii）了解性选择对认知技能和行为可塑性进化的作用。这项研究将使用新产生的关于斑胸草雀的实验数据和理论方法。从这个程序的结果将是特别相关的物种保护和再引入的保护政策。此外，这项研究将有助于培训概念科学家，他们将获得设计实验和产生可测试理论的有用方法论技能。