Information, uncertainty, and adaptive phenotypic variation

信息、不确定性和适应性表型变异

• 批准号: RGPIN-2018-04358
• 负责人: Mathot, Kimberley
• 金额: $ 2.4万
• 依托单位: University of Alberta
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=744791
• 关键词: Information; uncertainty; adaptive; phenotypic; variation

My research addresses two fundamental questions in ecology and evolution; what are the causes of phenotypic variation, and what are its consequences? While many theoretical models have been developed to explain complex patterns of phenotypic variation, such models typically assume that individuals are omniscient. In other words, that animals have perfect information about the costs and benefits of exhibiting a given phenotype in a given environment. However, virtually all animal decision-making involves uncertainty. Some uncertainty arises through stochastic processes and is therefore irreducible, while other types of uncertainty can be reduced by investing time and/or energy in sampling relevant environmental cues. The proposed research program will explore the role of uncertainty (both reducible and irreducible) in shaping animal decision-making and patterns of phenotypic variation. This will be done using black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) and peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) as the two main model systems. Over the next 5 years, I will address the following short-term objectives:1. How and why do animals value different types of information. We will study how individuals differ in their response to different modalities of information about predation danger (e.g., auditory versus visual cues), and develop and test models that explore the drivers of among-individual differences in the use of personal versus social information. 2. Understanding the consequences of irreducible uncertainty across different temporal scales. We will study responses to uncertainty across different time scales (e.g., moment to moment, within seasons, across years), and evaluate the adaptive value of these responses. 3. Adopt an integrative approach to study strategies for managing uncertainty. Do sampling, insurance, and variance-sensitivity, represent expressions of the same latent variable (i.e., response to uncertainty), or are they three independent traits? We will combine results across complementary studies to better understand the underlying structure of responses to uncertainty. SignificanceThis research program will address fundamental questions in ecology and evolution relating to the causes and consequences of phenotypic variation. More specifically, it will begin to address the role that environmental uncertainty plays in shaping complex patterns of phenotypic variation. Further, this research program will provide training opportunities to 31 HQP at the undergraduate, MSc, PhD and PDF levels over the next 5 years. By increasing our understanding of the factors that shape the way that organisms manage uncertainty, including their responses to both reducible and irreducible uncertainty, this research program will provide insights into how animals may be expected to respond to changing environmental conditions.

我的研究解决了生态学和进化论中的两个基本问题：表型变异的原因是什么，其后果是什么？虽然已经开发了许多理论模型来解释复杂的表型变异模式，但这些模型通常假设个体是无所不知的。换句话说，这些动物有关于在特定环境中表现出特定表型的成本和收益的完美信息。然而，几乎所有的动物决策都涉及不确定性。一些不确定性是通过随机过程产生的，因此是不可减少的，而其他类型的不确定性可以通过投入时间和/或精力对相关环境线索进行采样来减少。拟议的研究计划将探索不确定性(包括可减少的和不可减少的)在塑造动物决策和表型变异模式中的作用。这将使用黑帽山雀(Poecile Atricapillus)和游隼(Falco Peregrinus)作为两个主要的模型系统来完成。在接下来的5年里，我将阐述以下短期目标：1.动物如何以及为什么重视不同类型的信息。我们将研究个体对不同形式的关于捕食危险的信息(例如，听觉和视觉线索)的反应有何不同，并开发和测试模型，探索个人与社会信息使用的个体差异的驱动因素。2.理解不同时间尺度上不可减少的不确定性的后果。我们将研究不同时间尺度(例如，时刻到时刻、季节内、跨年)对不确定性的反应，并评估这些反应的适应价值。3.采取综合方法研究管理不确定性的策略。抽样、保险和方差敏感性代表了相同的潜在变量(即，对不确定性的反应)的表达，还是它们是三个独立的特征？我们将结合互补性研究的结果，以更好地理解对不确定性反应的潜在结构。意义这项研究计划将解决与表型变异的原因和后果有关的生态学和进化论中的基本问题。更具体地说，它将开始解决环境不确定性在形成复杂的表型变异模式中所起的作用。此外，该研究计划将在未来5年内为31名HQP提供本科、硕士、博士和PDF级别的培训机会。通过增加我们对塑造生物体管理不确定性的方式的因素的理解，包括它们对可减少和不可减少的不确定性的反应，该研究计划将提供关于动物可能如何对不断变化的环境条件做出反应的见解。