Selection and Plasticity in Social Behavior and Signals

摘要摩尔9514063第二性征是影响个体生殖成功的性状。这些特征，如精细的结构、婚礼的颜色、求偶歌曲或性信息素，在交配之外没有任何作用。它们通常是复杂的，生产和维护成本可能很高。第二性征在成年期后发育，在完全性成熟之前发育，通常是性二态的。精致的第二性特征通常与男性有关，通常随着年龄的增长而变化，受环境的影响，而且可能是有条件的。这些特征是作为性选择的结果而演变的：也就是说，它们要么对雄性之间争夺配偶的竞争产生影响，要么对雌性交配偏好产生影响。这项研究将确定雄性产生性信息素的数量遗传和进化，以及雄性和雌性对这种信息素的反应表现出的社会行为。这种性信号是在男性成年后产生的，在表达上受到性别的限制，并在发育后随着年龄和社会经验的变化而变化。此外，这种信号显然是作为性选择的结果而进化的；性选择的两种行为机制都受到这种信息素变化的影响。雌性根据这种信息素对雄性进行区别对待，并通过歧视交配来偏向后代的发育速度。雄性之间攻击性社交的结果也会受到这种信息素的影响。在研究这种信息素方面丰富的背景知识和经验使人们能够解决有关变化的环境、遗传和这种性信息素及其相关行为的发展的影响的基本问题。P.I.将确定这种信息素的发育和与年龄相关的变化。此外，他还将讲述在发育过程中所经历的外部环境如何塑造性别选择的信号和行为。最终，这将量化基因变异对环境影响反应的影响程度。这些结果将增加我们对社会信号的遗传学和进化的理解。这些实验将提供有关性选择中的行为和信号如何通过可塑性进行调节的第一批信息。此外，他们还将讨论性别选择中基因与环境(GxE)相互作用的重要性。

Abstract Moore 9514063 Secondary sexual characters are traits that influence the reproductive success of individuals. These traits, such as elaborate structures, nuptial colors, courtship songs, or sex pheromones, have no function outside of mating. They are often elaborate and may be costly to produce and maintain. Secondary sexual characters develop after adulthood prior to full sexual maturity and are often sexually dimorphic. Elaborate secondary sexual characters are most often associated with males, often change with age, influenced by the environment, and can be conditiondependent. These traits have evolved as a result of sexual selection: i.e. either their impact on male-male competition for mates or their influence on female mating preferences. This study will determine the quantitative genetics and evolution of the male-produced sex pheromone of Nauphoeta cinerea and the social behavior of males and females that is displayed in response to this pheromone. This sexual signal develops after males emerge to adulthood, is sex limited in expression, and changes with age and social experience after it has developed. Further, this signal has apparently evolved as a result of sexual selection; both of the behavioral mechanisms of sexual selection are influenced by variation in this pheromone. Females discriminate among males on the basis of this pheromone, and bias the developmental rates of their offspring by mating discriminatory. The outcome of aggressive social interactions among males is also influenced by this pheromone. Extensive background knowledge and experience in studying this pheromone allows one to address fundamental questions concerning the impacts of variable environments, genetics, and development of this sex pheromone and associated behaviors. The P.I. will determine developmental and age-related changes in this pheromone. In addition he will address how the external environment experienced during development shapes sexually-selected signals and behavior. Fi nally, this will quantify the extent that genetic variation impacts responses to environmental influences. These results will increase our understanding of the genetics and evolution of social signals. These experiments will provide the first information on how the behaviors and signals involved in sexual selection are mediated by plasticity. In addition, they will address the importance of genotype by environment (GxE) interactions for sexual selection.