Control of Reproduction in Diverse Habitats

我们建议调查繁殖的冠雀属Zonotrichia种群的人工控制。 我们已经确定了在北极，中纬度和赤道地区的关键人群，表达了全方位的时间（北极），几乎完全的灵活性和灵活性（赤道地区）。 在中纬度地区发现了中等程度的灵活性。 我们也有一个大型语料库的数据从人口Melospiza melodia在西部华盛顿州，表达了类似的渐变群的生殖灵活性，最温和的，沿海栖息地和最小的灵活性，在高海拔栖息地的喀斯喀特山脉。 实地实验将确定每个栖息地的繁殖季节有多灵活。 平行实验室实验将进一步探索环境信号，如白天长度，温度，食物和水的变化如何与社会线索相互作用，以调节神经内分泌和内分泌分泌，协调生殖发育。 研究结果对脊椎动物如何应对全球变化具有实际应用价值。

We propose to investigate the environmenmtal control of breeding in populations of "crowned sparrows" of the genus Zonotrichia. We have identified key populations in Artic, mid-latitudes and equatorial regions that express the full spectrum of extreme inflexibility of timing (Artic) to almost complete flexibility and asynchrony (equatorial regions). Intermediate degrees of flexibility are found at mid-latitudes. We also have a large corpus of data from a population of Melospiza melodia in western Washington State that expresses a similar cline of reproductive flexibility showing most plasticity in mild, coastal habitats and least flexibility in high altitude habitats in the Cascade mountains. Field experiments will determine how flexible breeding seasons are within each habitat. Parallel laboratory experiments will explore further how environmental signals such as change in day length, temperature, food and water interact with social cues to regulate neuroendocrine and endocrine secretions that orchestrate reproductive development. The results will have practical application on how vertebrates may respond t global change in the near future.