DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Male testosterone response to courtship in the monogamous California mouse: an honest signal of paternal quality?

动物如何选择配偶是生物学中最重要的问题之一，因为这些决定可以影响一个物种的进化。当一只动物一生中只有一个配偶，或者幼崽的存活取决于父母双方时，选择一个好伴侣的压力可能会特别大。本项目主要研究加州大鼠（Peromyscus californicus）雄性睾酮(T)、求偶行为和父系行为之间的关系。加州老鼠在哺乳动物中是不寻常的，因为父亲帮助母亲抚养后代，而没有父亲的存在，后代就无法生存。对鱼类和鸟类的研究表明，其他物种的雌性有时更喜欢那些能表明自己会成为好父亲的伴侣，但哺乳动物是否也是如此尚不清楚。这一建议扩展了先前由同一研究人员收集的数据，这些数据表明，当一个男人被介绍给一个女人时，他释放的T量可以预测他成为一个好父亲的潜力。这个项目的目标是确定雌性是否能探测到雄性在求偶期间释放的T的数量，以及雌性是否更喜欢释放最多T的雄性，并通过声音交流来宣传这一特征。这些研究将进一步了解物种如何形成交配偏好，并加强父权照顾可以成为雌性在选择配偶时考虑的重要资源的概念。此外，在加利福尼亚小鼠中探索T和父系抚育之间的关系将进一步了解神经内分泌系统如何支持哺乳动物的父系行为，这有可能扩展到人类的养育行为。该项目的录音技术将用于行为神经科学本科课程学生的实验模块。

How animals choose mates is one of the most important questions in biology, because these decisions can shape the evolution of a species. Pressure to select a good mate may be particularly strong when an animal will have only one mate in a lifetime, or survival of infants depends on both parents. This project focuses on the relationship between male testosterone (T), courtship behavior and fathering behavior in the California mouse, Peromyscus californicus. California mice are unusual for mammals because fathers help mothers raise offspring, who cannot survive without their father's presence. Work with fish and birds has shown that females of other species sometimes prefer mates who can signal that they will be good fathers, but it is unknown whether the same is true for mammals. This proposal expands upon previously collected data by the same researchers that show that the amount of T a male releases when he is introduced to a female predicts aspects of his potential as a good father. The goal of the proposed project is to determine whether females can detect the amount of T a male releases during courtship, and if females prefer males who release the most T and advertise this trait using vocal communication. These studies will further an understanding of how species form mating preferences, and strengthen the concept that paternal care can be an important resource for females to consider during mate choice. Moreover, exploring the relationship between T and paternal care in the California mouse will further a more general understanding of how the neuroendocrine system functions to support fathering behavior in mammals, which has the potential to extend to human parenting. Vocal recording techniques from this project will be used in a laboratory module for students enrolled in an undergraduate course in behavioral neuroscience.