Genetic Parentage in Red-Winged Blackbirds: Tests of Alternative Reproductive Strategies

本项目旨在测试影响红翅黑鹂遗传亲代的生态因素的几个假设。这项工作将提高我们对进化过程和种群遗传结构的理解。因为在许多动物中，尤其是鸟类，个体经常在观察到的社会关系之外交配，影响遗传亲缘关系的因素最终将影响进化的进行方式以及在种群中代表哪些基因。只有使用遗传标记才能揭示这种额外结合的影响。以前分析亲子关系的遗传方法没有提供足够的遗传信息来完整地分析亲子关系。这项研究将利用一种名为DNA指纹的新技术来扩展之前的方法，这种技术可以分析基因组中高度可变的区域。这些区域提供的信息足以完全确定每一个后代的父母身份。本研究将结合自由生活红翼鸟的行为观察和这些新的亲子遗传分析来达到几个目标。首先，该研究将揭示雌性相对于其他雌性繁殖的时间对遗传亲缘关系的影响。其次，雄性行为对遗传亲缘关系的影响将通过通过补充喂养增加雄性在领地上的存在以及通过临时迁移减少雄性的存在来测试。第三，结合领地区位和品质的特点，分析领地饲养幼崽的遗传亲缘关系。第四，雌性交配行为对遗传亲本的影响将通过对雌性的详细观察和随后的亲本分析来评估。最后，遗传亲缘关系对亲代行为和自然种群选择行为的影响将被记录下来。一旦完成，这项研究将提供一些可能影响遗传亲子关系的生态因素的信息。这些资料将纳入关于生态和进化的生殖行为以及这种行为对人口结构的影响的一般概念。

This project seeks to test several hypotheses about the ecological factors affecting the genetic parentage of red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus). This work will improve our understanding of the process of evolution and the genetic structure of populations. Because in many animals, especially birds, individuals often mate outside the observed social bonds, the factors influencing genetic parentage will ultimately influence how evolution proceeds and which genes are represented within a population. Only the use of genetic markers can uncover the effects of such extra-bond matings. Previous genetic methods for analyzing parentage have not provided enough genetic information to completely analyze parentage. This study will expand on those previous methods by using a new technique, known as DNA fingerprinting, which can assay highly variable regions of the genome. These regions provide information sufficient to determine completely the parentage of every offspring. This study will combine behavioral observations of free- living redwings with these new genetic analyses of parentage to achieve several goals. First, the study will uncover the effects on genetic parentage of when a female breeds relative to other females. Second, the effects of male behavior on genetic parentage will be tested by increasing male presence on the territory through supplemental feeding and by decreasing male presence by temporary removals. Third, the genetic parentage of young raised on territories will be analyzed in light of the characteristics of territory location and quality. Fourth, the effects of female mating behavior on genetic parentage will be assessed by detailed observations of females and subsequent analysis of parentage. Finally, the impact of variation in genetic parentage on parental behavior and on the action of selection in natural populations will be documented. Upon completion, this study will provide information on a number of ecological factors that might affect genetic parentage. This information will be incorporated into general concepts about the ecology and evolution of reproductive and about the influence of such behavior on population structure.