Dissertation Research: Combining Physiological and Ecological Approaches to Decision and Choice

行为生态学的一个中心目标是了解解释交配系统变化的因素。人们对生态变异在构建交配系统中所起的作用知之甚少。在蒂莫西·斯帕克斯的博士论文研究中，他将使用生理学技术和实验室实验相结合的方法来研究生态因素在影响择偶决策方面所起的作用。焦点生物是一种淡水甲壳类动物，fontinalis。已完成的工作已经证明，种群间生态因素（特别是捕食风险）的变化导致了种群特有的生活史特征的最优。反过来，生活史上的人口差异影响了其他特征的最优值，例如配偶选择。这项研究将检验关于生态变化在决定配偶选择决策中所起作用的假设。总的来说，这个研究项目应该提供一个生态因素对一系列相互关联的猎物适应的影响的通常完整的综合。有3个组成部分：(a)确定两性个体择偶标准的行为实验。(b)生理和行为实验的结合，以检验生理状态导致的交配行为的变化。(c)一项行为实验，以确定捕食在解释配偶选择决定的变化中所起的作用。

A central goal in behavioral ecology is to understand factors that explain variations in mating systems. The role that ecological variation plays in structuring mating systems is poorly understood. In Mr. Timothy Sparkes' doctoral-dissertation research, he will use a combination of physiological techniques and laboratory experiments to examine the role that ecological factors play in affecting mate-choice decisions. The focal organism is a freshwater crustacean, Lirceus fontinalis. Completed work has documented that variation in ecological factors (in particular, predation risk) among populations results in population-specific optima for life-history traits. Population differences in life histories, in turn, influence the optima for other traits, e.g., mate choice. The research will test hypotheses about the role that ecological variation plays in determining mate-choice decisions. Overall, this research program should provide an usually complete synthesis on the effects of ecological factors on a suite of interrelated prey adaptations. There are 3 components: (A.) Behavioral experiments to determine mate-choice criteria for individuals of each sex. (B.) A combination of physiological and behavioral experiments to examine variation in mating behavior as a consequence of physiological state. (C.) A behavioral experiment to determine the role that predation plays in explaining variations in mate-choice decisions.