Sensory processing, perception and communication in simple nervous systems

简单神经系统的感觉处理、感知和交流

• 批准号: RGPIN-2020-05946
• 负责人: Mason, Andrew
• 金额: $ 4.74万
• 依托单位: University of Toronto
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=717960
• 关键词: Sensory; processing; perception; communication; simple

My research program seeks to integrate studies of natural behaviour and its adaptive constraints with analyses of underlying neural mechanism to address fundamental and practical questions in the following areas. A. Common principles for integration of cues in sensory orientation tasks. B. Simple models of sensory perception. C. Relationship between sensory ecology and signal complexity in communication. Specific objectives for this proposal: 1. Insect auditory processing. 1a. Parasitoid flies (Ormia sp.) find hosts by localizing the songs of male crickets with directional hearing of unsurpassed accuracy. Current work addresses novel dimensions of hearing in this system, including plasticity, elevation sensitivity (3D localization), and near-field hearing in the context of larviposition (a distinct behavioural context following long-range phonotaxis). 1b. Plasticity and population divergence in stimulus recognition. Geographically distinct Ormia populations exploit locally specific host species varying in song characteristics relevant to host recognition and phonotaxis. A quantitative measure of signal preference allows standardized comparisons across populations to quantify host-specific divergence. Field work on three populations (FL, TX, CA) is extending these comparative studies to include ecological variables (predation; host density) that may contribute to divergence of host-foraging strategies among fly populations. 2. Vibrational sensory signals. Details of coding, recognition, and localisation of vibration stimuli by spiders are primarily known from work on few species. There is considerable variation in the structure of webs and material properties of silk, and growing interest in the relationship between these factors and the propagation and processing of vibration stimuli. Proposed work on cobweb-dwelling widow spiders will examine mechanical properties of webs and silk; characterise vibration signals and cues (prey vs conspecifics) and link these to variation in signal propagation as a function of web properties. 3. Evolution of communication and signal complexity. 3a. Competitive signals. This work is focused the role of signal costs in communication and competition, using the orthopteran insects and jumping spiders. I will continue on-going work on metabolic costs of signalling by correlating measures of energy consumption (respirometry) with individual variation in competitive success and signal quality (acoustic signals in insects; vibratory signals in spiders). 3b. Vibrational signal structure. Current work on widow spiders documents a progression from haphazard to structured signals within a single display sequence. They are therefore a good model for testing the functional significance of signal organization. Proposed work will integrate these behavioural studies with vibrosensory work (2) for an integrative study of the sensory ecology of vibrational signals (from physical constraints, to sensory coding, to behaviour).

我的研究计划旨在将自然行为及其适应性约束的研究与潜在神经机制的分析相结合，以解决以下领域的基本和实际问题。A.感觉定向任务中线索整合的共同原则。B。感官知觉的简单模型。C.感觉生态学与通讯信号复杂性的关系。本提案的具体目标： 1.昆虫的听觉处理。1a.寄生蝇（Ormia sp.）通过定位雄蟋蟀的歌声来寻找宿主，雄蟋蟀的定向听觉非常准确。目前的工作解决了新的方面的听力在这个系统中，包括可塑性，海拔敏感性（3D定位），和近场听力幼虫的上下文中（一个独特的行为背景下，远程phonotaxis）。1b.刺激识别的可塑性和群体分化。地理上不同的Ormia种群利用当地特定的宿主物种不同的歌曲特性相关的主机识别和phonotaxis。信号偏好的定量测量允许在群体之间进行标准化比较以量化宿主特异性趋异。三个种群（佛罗里达州，德克萨斯州，加利福尼亚州）的实地工作正在扩展这些比较研究，包括生态变量（捕食，主机密度），可能有助于分歧的主机觅食策略之间的苍蝇种群。 2.振动感觉信号。蜘蛛对振动刺激的编码、识别和定位的细节主要来自于对少数物种的研究。有相当大的变化，在网络的结构和材料性能的丝绸，和越来越多的兴趣在这些因素之间的关系和传播和处理的振动刺激。拟对蜘蛛网居住的寡妇蜘蛛的工作将研究网和丝的机械性能;振动信号和线索（猎物与同种），并将这些联系到信号传播的变化作为网络性能的函数。 3.通信和信号复杂性的演变。3a.竞争信号。本文以直翅目昆虫和跳蛛为研究对象，探讨了信号代价在通信和竞争中的作用。我将继续正在进行的工作相关的能量消耗的措施（呼吸）与个体差异的竞争成功和信号质量（声音信号在昆虫;振动信号在蜘蛛）的信号的代谢成本。3b.振动信号结构。目前的工作寡妇蜘蛛文件的进展，从偶然的结构化信号在一个单一的显示序列。因此，它们是测试信号组织功能意义的良好模型。拟议的工作将整合这些行为研究与振动传感器工作（2）的振动信号的感觉生态学的综合研究（从物理约束，感觉编码，行为）。