ABR/LTREB Renewal: Reproduction, social networks, and socio-ecology of wild bottlenose dolphins

宽吻海豚(Tursiopps sp.)的社会、人口和认知特征显示出与灵长类动物显著的相似之处，为研究大脑大小、广泛的母性照顾、行为灵活性和延长的发育期提供了一个强有力的方法。在这个项目中，研究人员使用计算机建模和生物采样方面的创新技术，研究了与海豚雌性繁殖和发育有关的社会和生态因素。研究人员将研究哪些因素有助于雌性海豚产卵成功，为什么海豚有如此长的幼年期，以及种群中哪些信息(文化)传递模式有利于这种行为可塑性。他们还启动了一项研究，涉及收集吹气样本(从喷气孔呼出的液体)，并已经从吹气中提取了DNA。这些样品还将用于激素和脂肪酸分析，为生殖、压力、成熟和饮食的非侵入性研究开辟了令人兴奋的新途径。该项目的属性包括：(1)25年纵向数据集的大小和前所未有的细节；(2)利用网络平台创建广泛的综合关系数据库；(3)在大型社会网络的背景下分析复杂的多维关联的计算模型；(4)社会、生态和生殖参数的自然变化；(5)非侵入性生物采样技术的发展新方向；以及(6)与灵长类动物同等研究物种的科学价值。这种合作的跨学科性质将促进跨多个学科的创新和智力交流，促进我们对复杂动物社会的理解。该项目资助了5名生物学和计算机科学专业的研究生和大约22名本科生。该数据库将通过我们的网站广泛使用，并将作为一种教育工具和设计类似的长期数据仓库的基础。因此，下一代生物学家将更好地将计算机科学方法和数据库技术结合起来。

The social, demographic and cognitive features of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) show remarkable parallels with primates, offering a powerful method for examining how large brains, extensive maternal care, behavioral flexibility and prolonged developmental periods evolved. In this project the investigators examine the social and ecological factors related to dolphin female reproduction and development using innovative techniques in both computer modeling and biological sampling. The investigators will examine what factors contribute to female calving success, why dolphins have such a long juvenile period, and what patterns of information (cultural) transmission in the population favor such behavioral plasticity. They have also initiated a study that involves collecting blow samples (fluid exhaled from the blowhole) and have already extracted DNA from blow. These samples will also be used for hormone and fatty acid assays, opening up exciting new avenues for the non-invasive study of reproduction, stress, maturation and diet. The attributes of the project include: (1) the size and unprecedented detail of the 25-year longitudinal dataset; (2) the creation of an extensive integrated relational database with a web platform; (3) the computational modeling for analyzing complex multi-dimensional associations in the context of a large social network; (4) the natural variation in social, ecological, and reproductive parameters; (5) the new direction in developing non-invasive biological sampling techniques; and (6) the scientific value of studying a species on par with primates. The inter-disciplinary nature of this collaboration will foster innovation and intellectual exchange across multiple disciplines, advancing our understanding of complex animal societies. The project supports five graduate and approximately 22 undergraduate students from Biology and Computer Science. The database will be broadly accessible through our website and will serve as an educational tool and as a foundation for design of similar long-term data warehouses. Thus, the next generation biologists will be better equipped to integrate computer science approaches and database technology.