Complex Mating Displays: Constraints, Trade-offs, and Reliability

拟议的研究探讨了结构，功能和进化的通信显示在热带鸣禽物种，蓝黑色草雀。该项目将由三名核心合作者进行和监督：Regina Macedo博士（巴西巴西利亚大学）、Jefferson Graves博士（苏格兰圣安德鲁斯大学）和PI。 实地工作将集中在巴西巴西利亚的一个实地考察点的草签“跳跃展示”上。野外工作的主要目标是表征男性之间的显示性状的变化，以确定显示变异的机械基础，并表征女性如何使用显示性状的变化在择偶。交配展示将使用光学分光光度法、高速摄像、聚焦和自动录音进行表征。据推测，在某些显示性状（例如跳跃高度）中表现出高表现的雄性将在其他性状（例如，跳跃率），因为机械的、能量的或基于分配的约束。显示性状变异对女性选择的影响将记录使用遗传亲子关系分析。据推测，女性将选择配偶主要基于行为显示特征，因为这些特征应该提供特别可靠的男性健康，地位和质量的指标。 该项目包括对巴西和美国学生进行进化生物学、动物行为学和鸟类学方面的培训，并包括几个计划中的交流课程。 我们计划的一个更广泛的目标是促进三国研究人员之间的交流，特别是促进巴西和美国科学界之间的互动。

Proposed research examines the structure, function, and evolution of communication displays in a tropical songbird species, the blue-black grassquit. This project will be conducted and supervised by three core collaborators: Dr. Regina Macedo (University of Brasilia, Brazil), Dr. Jefferson Graves (University of St. Andrews, Scotland) and the PI. Field work will focus on grassquit "leap displays" at a field site in Brasilia, Brazil. The main goals of field work are to characterize variation among males in display traits, to identify the mechanistic bases of display variation, and to characterize how females use display trait variation in mate choice. Mating displays will be characterized using optical spectrophotometry, high-speed videography, and focal and automated audio recording. It is hypothesized that males showing high performance in some display traits (e.g. leap height) will express deficits in others (e.g., leap rate), because of mechanistic, energetic, or allocation-based constraints. The impact of display trait variation on female choice will be documented using genetic paternity analysis. It is hypothesized that females will choose mates based largely on behavioral display traits, because such traits should provide particularly reliable indicators of male health, status, and quality. This project includes training of Brazilian and American students in evolutionary biology, animal behavior, and ornithology, and includes several planned exchange courses. A broader goal of our plan is to facilitate interchange between researchers from the three countries, with special interest in fostering interactions between Brazilian and US scientific communities.