Connecting Episodes of Sexual Selection in Bioluminescent Fireflies

动物求偶的信号从雄孔雀尾巴上壮观的彩虹色眼斑到雄蛾发出的微妙的嗅觉信号，无所不包。这些信号传达了重要的信息，信号的物种，性别和适合作为一个伴侣，但仍有待了解如何男性信号的变化可以影响他随后的繁殖成功。在许多昆虫中，雌性与几个雄性交配，而这些交配的雄性并不平等地分享雌性后代。最近的理论和实证研究表明，女性可能会偏向特定的男性受精。这个项目将揭示雄性求爱信号如何不仅影响他吸引配偶的能力，而且影响他交配后的生殖成功。为了帮助阐明雄性求爱信号如何影响交配后的成功，该项目将使用Photinus萤火虫作为一个高度可访问的模型系统。这些迷人的，活跃的昆虫以其生物发光的求爱信号而闻名。通过结合现场行为观察、实验室实验和人工生成的闪光信号，该项目将测试一个假设，即具有更有吸引力的求偶信号的雄性也能获得更高的亲子鉴定成功率。此外，该项目还将测量雄性萤火虫产生的化学线索，以确定雌性萤火虫是否使用多种线索来评估雄性质量。这项研究将通过开发导致繁殖成功差异的过程的综合概念模型来促进我们对动物行为和通信系统的理解。除了实现这些科学目标外，这项研究还将产生相当大的教育效益。该项目将为本科生和研究生提供研究培训，并有助于国家科学委员会提高科学专业学生保留率的目标。该项目还将支持塔夫茨大学坚定的机构承诺，使积极的研究参与成为本科科学教育的一个组成部分。最后，通过与印刷和广播媒体合作传播研究成果的坚定承诺，该项目将促进公众更好地了解科学。

Animal courtship signals run the gamut from the spectacular iridescent eyespots displayed on male peacock tails to the subtle olfactory signals emitted by male moths. These signals convey important information about the signalers species, sex, and suitability as a mate, yet much remains to be learned about how a males signal variation can affect his subsequent reproductive success. In many insects, females mate with several males and these mating males do not share equally in siring a females offspring. Recent theoretical and empirical work has suggested that females may bias fertilizations towards particular males. This project will shed light on how a males courtship signals might influence not just his ability to attract mates, but also his post-mating reproductive success. To help elucidate how male courtship signals affect post-mating success, this project will use Photinus fireflies as a highly accessible model system. These fascinating, nocturnally-active insects are well-known for their bioluminescent courtship signals. Using a combination of field behavioral observations, laboratory experiments, and artificially-generated flash signals, this project will test the hypothesis that males with more attractive courtship signals also gain higher paternity success. In addition, this project will measure chemical cues produced by male fireflies to determine whether females use multiple cues to assess male quality. This research will advance our understanding of animal behavior and communication systems by developing an integrated conceptual model of the processes leading to differences in reproductive success. In addition to achieving these scientific goals, this research will yield considerable educational benefits. This project will provide research training for both undergraduate and graduate students, and contribute to the National Science Boards goal of bolstering retention rates among science majors. This project will also support Tufts Universitys strong institutional commitment to making active research participation an integral part of undergraduate science education. Lastly, through a strong commitment to working with print and broadcast media to disseminate results of this research, this project will promote better public understanding of science.