DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Costs and Constraints of Wing Melanism in a Butterfly

论文研究：蝴蝶翅膀黑化的成本和限制PI：Marlene Zuk和Andrew M.Stoehr这项研究将研究季节性翅膀模式变化(可塑性)对菜粉蝶免疫防御和交配行为的影响。首先，这项研究将确定菜粉蝶的翅膀图案和免疫防御是否由于它们共同依赖黑色素而权衡。这将通过诱导翼黑色素和免疫防御黑色素的差异变化的实验操作来实现。其次，这项研究将确定在交配的背景下，翅膀图案是否在交流中起作用，以及翅膀图案的季节性差异在这一背景下是否重要。这将通过翅膀图案的实验操纵和交配行为的行为实验来完成。这些实验将解决翅膀图案的季节性变化以及翅膀图案和通过黑色素进行的免疫防御之间的机制联系如何相互作用，以塑造这些特征的进化。智力价值：这项研究将有助于我们理解免疫防御；在生态和行为背景下交配信号的潜在信息内容；表型和发育可塑性之间的相互作用；以及黑色素病的意义。更广泛的影响：这项研究将使通常只对医学感兴趣的本科生将科学作为解决问题的工具，并看到生物生物学的广泛价值。

Dissertation Research:Costs and Constraints of Wing Melanism in a ButterflyPI: Marlene Zuk and Andrew M. StoehrThis research will examine the consequences of seasonal wing pattern variation (plasticity) for immune defense and mating behaviors in the butterfly Pieris rapae. First, this research will determine if P. rapae wing patterns and immune defense trade off due to their common reliance on melanin pigment. This will be accomplished through experimental manipulations that induce differential variation in wing melanin and immune defense melanin. Second, this research will determine if wing patterns function in communication in the context of mating and if seasonal differences in wing pattern are important in this context. This will be accomplished through experimental manipulations of wing patterns and behavioral experiments on mating behavior. These experiments will address how the seasonal changes in wing pattern and the mechanistic link between wing patterns and immune defense through melanin interact to shape the evolution of these traits. Intellectual merit: This research will contribute to our understanding of immune defense; the potential information content of mating signals in an ecological and behavioral context; the interaction between phenotypic and developmental plasticity; and the significance of melanism. Broader impacts: The research will enable undergraduates normally interested only in medicine to use science as a problem-solving tool and to see the broad value of organismal biology.