The Behavioral Genetics and Evolution of Cricket Song

标题：板球歌唱的行为遗传和进化：Kerry L.Shaw Co-P.I.：Patrick D.Danley：有助于繁殖行为的行为特征经常迅速变化，并可能刺激新物种的创造。了解生殖行为的变化和物种的潜在分化，关键取决于了解哪些基因导致行为差异，以及这些基因如何在发育中的有机体中产生这些行为。板球鸣叫的遗传基础将在夏威夷的劳帕拉属中进行研究，这是一种涉及到蟋蟀繁殖行为的模式行为。由于(1)神经生物学家对蟋蟀鸣声的研究由来已久，(2)对蟋蟀鸣声的功能进行了深入的研究，(3)关系密切的物种拥有不同的雄性鸣声，这表明蟋蟀鸣声在新物种的创造中发挥了作用，以及(4)蟋蟀鸣声的变化方式对于检验进化假说是有价值的，因此月桂属物种是研究基因和行为之间联系的理想物种。在这项拟议的研究中，将研究近缘物种中雄性叫声脉搏频率自然发生变化的遗传基础。将开发基因工具来识别影响雄性叫声的基因，并将这些基因的活性与雄性叫声在多个物种中的差异联系起来。将要检验的假设是，蟋蟀歌唱行为发展的潜在基因与自然行为变异的基因是相同的。

Title: The Behavioral Genetics and Evolution of Cricket SongP.I.: Kerry L. Shaw Co-P.I.: Patrick D. DanleyThe behavioral traits that contribute to reproductive behavior often change rapidly and may spur the creation of new species. Understanding how changes in reproductive behavior, and the potential differentiation of species, is critically dependent on knowing which genes contribute to behavioral variation and how these genes act to produce these behaviors in the developing organism. The genetic basis of cricket song, a model behavior involved in the reproductive behavior of crickets, will be studied in the Hawaiian genus Laupala. Species of Laupala are ideal for studying the connection between genes and behavior because (1) neurobiologists have long studied cricket song, (2) the function of cricket song has been intensively studied, (3) closely related species possess different male songs, which suggests that cricket song has played a role in the creation of new species, and (4) the way in which cricket songs have changed are valuable for testing evolutionary hypotheses. In the proposed research, the genetic basis of naturally occurring variation in pulse rate of the male calling song will be studied in closely related species. Genetic tools will be developed to identify genes influencing male song and to correlate the activity of these genes with differences in male calling song across multiple species. The hypothesis that will be tested is that genes underlying the development of singing behavior in crickets are the same genes that underlie natural behavioral variation.