Visual Communication and Species Recognition

乌茨博士和克拉克先生将研究视觉交流行为及其在盐碱地蜘蛛物种识别中的作用。盐碱地蜘蛛的视力很发达。实验将被用来研究雄性求爱的形态(形状、颜色、标记)和特定物种的行为模式(运动、顺序)在引发雌性反应方面的相对重要性。使用一种新开发的方法，乌茨博士和克拉克先生将研究梅维亚克利门斯蜘蛛在求偶过程中形态和行为的相互作用。梅维亚克利门斯是一种盐碱蜘蛛，有两种不同的雄性形态，在外表和行为上都不同。这两种类型的雄性求爱行为序列都将被录像、数字化并存储在计算机上。然后，这两个变种的形态特征和行为模式将通过计算机/视频动画技术进行实验操作，并在微型电视屏幕上呈现给雌性蜘蛛。将研究雌性蜘蛛对这些计算机生成的视频图像的不同组合的反应，以及对真实蜘蛛的录像带的反应。通过实验分离形式和行为，并将它们重新组合成新颖的组合，尤茨博士和克拉克先生将能够完全控制呈现给雌性蜘蛛的刺激(这在活着的雄性蜘蛛中是不可能的)，并识别这种独特蜘蛛求偶过程中涉及的关键视觉元素。这些实验研究将使尤茨博士和克拉克先生能够检验有关动物交流及其适应功能的假说，并有助于更好地理解物种识别机制。此外，这种用于研究动物行为的强大的新的计算机辅助技术的发展在许多领域的研究中具有巨大的潜力，包括配偶选择、竞争行为、视觉感知和神经生理学。

Dr. Uetz and Mr. Clark will investigate visual communication behavior and its role in species recognition in salticid spiders, which have well-developed vision. Experiments will be performed to study the relative importance of morphology (form, coloration, markings) and species-specific behavior patterns (movement, sequence) of courting males in eliciting responses from females. Using a newly-developed method, Dr. Uetz and Mr. Clark will investigate the interaction of morphology and behavior in courtship of Maevia inclemens, a salticid spider that has two distinct male forms differing in appearance and behavior. Courtship behavior sequences of males of both types will be videotaped, digitized, and stored on the computer. Morphological characteristics and behavioral patterns of the two morphs will then be experimentally manipulated using computer/video animation techniques, and presented to female spiders on microtelevision screens. Responses of female spiders to various combinations of these computer-generated video images, as well as to videotapes of real spiders, will be studied. By experimentally separating form and behavior, and recombining them in novel combinations, Dr. Uetz and Mr. Clark will be able to have complete control over stimuli presented to the female (which is not possible with live male spiders), and to identify critical visual elements involved in courtship of this unique spider. These experimental studies will allow Dr. Uetz and Mr. Clark to test hypotheses about animal communication and its adaptive functions, and will contribute to better understanding of species-recognition mechanisms. In addition, the development of this powerful new computer-assisted technique for studying animal behavior has enormous potential for a number of areas of investigation, including mate choice, agonistic behavior, visual perception, and neurophysiology.