Evolution of Environmental Cue Response Systems.

PI姓名：托马斯P. Coombs-Hahn奖号：IOS-0744705提案标题：环境线索反应系统的演变地球上的条件随着时间的推移而变化。 动物如何应对这种变异决定了它们是否能在特定的环境中成功地生存和繁殖。该项目探讨了动物在不同环境中成功生存和繁殖能力的一个关键方面：随着条件的变化，它们能够适当地选择繁殖时间。 繁殖的时机至关重要，因为不合时宜的尝试（例如，当天气或食物供应不佳时）可能是灾难性的。 该项目的重点是了解动物如何使用来自环境的信息，即所谓的环境线索，如日照长度的季节性变化，以确定生理和行为变化的时间，这些变化对在不断变化的环境中生存和成功繁殖至关重要。 该项目利用野生鸟类繁殖时间表的自然变化来确定不同环境是否带来不同的时间挑战（即，可预测或不可预测地改变食物供应）要求动物具有专门的神经激素线索反应机制，其仅独特地适合于有限的环境情况。 或者，在各种情况下运作良好的更通用的解决方案可能会占上风。 该项目在环境生理学领域具有根本意义，并且特别及时，因为结果将为预测动物如何适应不同类型的时间挑战（例如，环境条件中高度可预测或高度不可预测的变化）可能在它们将如何受到人类引起的环境改变的影响方面有所不同（例如，气候和全球变暖）。 该项目涉及对年轻生物学家的广泛培训，包括代表性不足群体的成员、本科生、硕士和博士生以及博士后受训人员。 它还包括通过公共讲座、在公立学校的演讲和网站，在学术环境之外进行广泛的宣传。

PI Name: Thomas P. Coombs-HahnAward Number: IOS-0744705Proposal Title: Evolution of environmental cue response systemsConditions on earth vary over time. How animals cope with this variation determines whether or not they can survive and reproduce successfully in particular environments. This project explores a key aspect of animals ability to survive and reproduce successfully in different environments: their ability to time reproduction appropriately as conditions change. Timing of reproduction is of the utmost importance because ill-timed attempts (when weather or food supply are not favorable, for instance) can be catastrophic. The project focuses on understanding how animals use information from the environment, so-called environmental cues such as seasonal changes in day-length, to time changes in physiology and behavior that are critical to survival and successful reproduction in changing environments. The project exploits natural variation in the breeding schedules of wild birds to determine whether different timing challenges presented by different environments (i.e., predictably or unpredictably changing food supply) require animals to possess specialized neuro-hormonal cue response mechanisms that are uniquely suited only to a limited set of environmental circumstances. Alternatively, more generalist solutions that work well under a variety of circumstances might prevail. The project is of fundamental interest in the field of environmental physiology, and is particularly timely because the results will provide a general conceptual basis for anticipating how animals adapted to different types of timing challenges (e.g., highly predictable or highly unpredictable variation in environmental conditions) are likely to differ in how they will be affected by human-induced modifications to the environment (e.g., climate and global warming). The project involves extensive training of young biologists, including members of under-represented groups, undergraduate students, masters and doctoral students, and postdoctoral trainees. It also involves extensive outreach beyond the academic setting, through public lectures, presentations in public schools, and web sites.