Dissertation Research: Wings versus Legs: Mechanistic Underpinnings of Variation in Locomotor Behavior among Birds

在1万种活着的鸟类及其灭绝的恐龙祖先中，翅膀与腿的相对大小和投资差异很大。这种变异可能会对鸟类的活动能力和许多相关的方面产生深远的影响，包括栖息地偏好、觅食策略、迁徙模式和父母照顾。为了了解翅膀和腿在发育和进化过程中如何独立和协同发挥作用的生态学分支，研究人员将测量澳大利亚灌木火鸡(Alectura Lathami)整个发育过程中翅膀和腿的形态和运动能力。这些数据将与我们之前进行的两个具有不同运动发育模式的物种[绿头鸭(Anas Playlinchos)和白腹鹦鹉(Alectoris Chukar)]进行的研究进行比较，这些比较将为了解幼鸟和成年鸟的腿和翅膀结构以及运动机制提供新的见解。该项目综合了几个生物学学科的方法，因此其结果将具有广泛的意义。该项目将对本科生进行科学调查原理方面的培训。此外，调查人员将通过向几个团体(蒙大拿州奥多邦协会、向上边界、环境记者协会、蒙大拿州女童子军)和流行媒体(历史频道、国家地理)介绍，向公众传播他们的结果。

Among the 10,000 species of living birds and their extinct dinosaurian ancestors, the relative size of, and investment in wings versus legs varies dramatically. This variation probably has profound effects on locomotor performance and many related aspects of bird ecology, including habitat preferences, foraging strategies, migration patterns, and parental care. In an effort to understand the ecological ramifications of how wings and legs function independently and cooperatively during development and evolution, the investigators will measure wing and leg morphology and locomotor performance in Australian brush turkeys (Alectura lathami) throughout their development. These data will be compared to previous studies we have conducted with two species having different patterns of locomotor development [mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) and chukar partridges (Alectoris chukar)], and these comparisons will provide new insight into leg and wing structure and the mechanics of movement in juvenile and adult birds. This project integrates the approaches of several biological disciplines and so the result will be broadly significant. This project will train undergraduate students in principles of scientific investigation. In addition, the investigators will disseminate their result to the public by making presentations to several groups (Montana Audobon Society, Upward Bound, the Society of Environmental Journalists, the Montana Girl Scouts) and to popular media outlets (History Channel, National Geographic).