DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The function and speciation potential of short- and long-range song in dark-eyed juncos

新物种的形成可以通过声音信号的变化来促进，声音信号在交配行为中起着重要作用，因此可以影响种群之间的杂交。信号和物种形成之间的关系已经在大声的、远距离的信号中得到了广泛的研究，但是包括鸟类、蝙蝠和昆虫在内的许多物种也会产生安静的、难以观察和记录的短程信号。现在，通过使用新开发的包含微型麦克风的无线电发射机，新技术使静音信号的高质量现场录音成为可能。该提案支持的研究将通过采用这项新技术以及歌曲回放实验和实验室偏好测试来评估种群间的差异，解决黑眼junco短距离和远距离鸣叫的功能。据预测，短距离鸣声将主要用于求偶，并且在种群之间的差异比远距离鸣声更大，从而确立了短距离鸣声对新物种发展的潜在贡献。这项研究将通过印第安纳大学和美国国家科学基金会资助的本科生研究经验项目，为弗吉尼亚州彭布罗克的山湖生物站的本科生提供指导和培训。大部分研究将在国家森林和公园等公共区域进行，使研究人员能够与青年团体和度假者互动。这项研究还将加强印第安纳大学与墨尔本大学（澳大利亚）、伊利诺伊大学、蒙大拿州大学和加州大学戴维斯分校之间的科学合作。本研究中产生的所有录音将被捐献给麦考利自然声音图书馆（http://macaulaylibrary.org/index.do），供公众和未来的研究人员使用。这一项目的成果将通过奥杜邦社团举办的公开讲座、学术期刊的出版物以及在国家和国际会议上的发言广泛传播。

The formation of new species can be promoted by variation in acoustic signals that play an important role in mating behavior and thus can influence interbreeding between populations. The relationship between signals and speciation has been studied extensively in loud, long-range signals, but many species including birds, bats, and insects also produce quiet, short-range signals that are difficult to observe and record. New technology now makes it possible to obtain high quality field recordings of quiet signals through the use of newly developed radiotransmitters containing miniature microphones. Research supported by this proposal will address the function of short- and long-range song in the dark-eyed junco, by employing this new technology along with song playback experiments and laboratory preference tests to assess variation among populations. It is predicted that short-range song will function predominantly in courtship and differ more between populations than long-range song, establishing short-range song a potential contributor to the development of new species. This research will contribute to the mentorship and training of diverse undergraduates through Indiana University and the NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates program at Mountain Lake Biological Station in Pembroke, Virginia. Much of the research will take place in public areas such as national forests and parks, allowing researchers to interact with youth groups and vacationers. This study will also strengthen scientific collaborations between Indiana University and the Universities of Melbourne (Australia), Illinois, Montana, and California at Davis. All recordings generated in this study will be contributed to the Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds (http://macaulaylibrary.org/index.do) to allow access to both the public and future researchers. The results of this project will be disseminated broadly by public lectures promoted by Audubon societies, publications in scholarly journals, and presentations at national and international conferences.