U.S.-Chile IRES: Intraspecific Variation and Genetic Mechanisms of Animal Sociality

在拟议的项目中，12名美国学生（6名本科生，6名研究生）将与智利两所机构（智利大学，P. Universidad Católica de Chile）的教师和学生合作，确定degu （degus）直接适应性变化的地理和社会条件，degu是一种在智利广泛分布的社会啮齿动物。先前对一个德古种群的研究表明，直接适合度（每个母亲的人均后代数量）随着群体规模的增加而下降，这表明群体生活对雌性来说是昂贵的。与理论相反，这个种群中的degus并不生活在亲缘群体中，这表明直接适应成本并没有被增强的间接适应所抵消。这些趋势在其他德古犬种群中发生到何种程度尚不清楚。IRES学生将研究群体规模、亲属关系和当地环境条件如何影响女性的直接适合度。包括对属于同一社会群体的女性之间的直接生殖在多大程度上是公平的审查？在两个德古种群中。在该领域工作的学生将确定社会群体组成并收集组织进行遗传分析。由学生主导的基因分析将确定与亲属生活在一起的女性是否比与非亲属生活在一起的女性具有更高的包容性适合度。根据这些研究的结果，学生们可以对不同群体的社会觅食策略、分散成本和个性评估进行研究。该计划将培养学生的专业技能和文化理解，增加未来项目成功的可能性，以及他们在国际研究领域竞争和合作的能力。为此，学生们将在长达两年的时间里从事研究、教育和文化活动。在IRES之前，学生将参加动物和研究培训，拨款提案开发和西班牙语课程。在IRES期间，学生将发展行为和基因研究技能，为他们提供广泛的研究工具包。与智利同行的合作将加强其同行和潜在合作者的国际网络。在IRES之后，学生将准备在同行评审期刊上发表的手稿，并在区域和国家会议上展示他们的成果。该计划的一个重要目标是通过促进田纳西州查塔努加地区的国际研究和STEM教育来扩大项目的影响。为此，IRES的学生将与田纳西大学查塔努加分校的工程专业学生就在查塔努加动物园设计一个新的草原土拨鼠展览进行咨询，查塔努加动物园是一个位于查塔努加市中心的组织，为不同的选民服务。在与查塔努加女子领导学院（一所以stem为重点的中学，主要服务于少数民族和经济上处于不利地位的女孩）的学生合作中，IRES的学生将研究动物园里草原犬鼠和其他社会动物的行为。田纳西大学查塔努加分校的本科生？什么是STEM教师培训计划？为有才华的STEM专业学生提供进入二级STEM课堂的途径？将把其中一些项目纳入高中科学课的STEM教育活动。活动将在当地公共广播电台播出的纪录片片段中突出。在三年的时间里，该奖项将为来自田纳西大学查塔努加分校和其他机构的6名本科生和6名研究生提供在智利获得国际研究经验的机会。学生们将与智利大学和智利教廷大学Católica的研究人员合作，研究只在智利发现的一种啮齿动物——degu （degu）的社会群体组成和群体生活的繁殖后果。这项工作的目的是确定群体生活的生殖后果是依赖于栖息地还是依赖于与近亲生活的程度。为此，学生们将研究两个群体中的德古社会群体。他们还将进行基因分析，以确定雌性是否与近亲生活在一起，以及雌性生育的后代数量是否取决于它们所生活的群体的规模和组成。本研究将为行为生态学的发展做出重要贡献。该项目将培养学生的专业技能和文化理解，增加项目成功的可能性和学生的国际竞争力。为此，学生们将在长达两年的时间里从事研究、教育和文化活动。在IRES之前，学生将接受动物和研究培训，撰写拨款提案，并参加西班牙语课程。在IRES期间，学生将培养研究技能，这将使他们在研究生课程和研究职业中具有竞争力。与智利同行的合作将加强他们的国际网络。在IRES之后，学生将准备在科学期刊上发表的手稿，并在区域和国家会议上展示他们的成果。该计划的一个重要目标是通过促进田纳西州查塔努加地区的国际研究和STEM教育来扩大项目的影响。为此，IRES的学生将与田纳西大学查塔努加分校的工程专业学生就在查塔努加动物园设计一个新的草原土拨鼠展览进行咨询，查塔努加动物园是一个位于查塔努加市中心的组织，为不同的选民服务。在与查塔努加女子领导学院（一所以stem为重点的中学，主要服务于少数民族和经济上处于不利地位的女孩）的学生合作中，IRES的学生将研究动物园里草原犬鼠和其他社会动物的行为。田纳西大学查塔努加分校的本科生？什么是STEM教师培训计划？为有才华的STEM专业学生提供进入二级STEM课堂的途径？将把其中一些项目纳入高中科学课的STEM教育活动。活动将在当地公共广播电台播出的纪录片片段中突出。

Technical abstractIn the proposed program, twelve U.S. students (6 undergrad, 6 graduate) will collaborate with faculty and students at two Chilean institutions (Universidad de Chile, P. Universidad Católica de Chile) to determine geographical and social conditions underlying direct fitness variation in the degu (Octodon degus), a social rodent found within a wide geographical range in Chile. Previous work in one degu population showed that direct fitness (per capita number of offspring per mother) decreases with increasing group size, suggesting that group living is costly to females. Contrary to theory, degus in this population do not live in kin groups, suggesting that direct fitness costs are not offset by enhanced indirect fitness. To what extent these trends occur in other degu populations is not known. IRES students will study how group size, kinship and local environmental conditions influence the direct fitness of females ? including an examination of the extent to which direct reproduction is equitable among females belonging to the same social groups ? in two degu populations. Students working in the field will determine social group composition and collect tissue for genetic analyses. Student-led genetic analyses will determine if females living with kin have higher inclusive fitness than females living with non-kin. Depending on the outcomes of these studies, the students may conduct research on social foraging strategies, costs of dispersal and personality assessment in different populations.The program will develop the professional skills and cultural understanding of students, increasing the likelihood for successful future projects and their capacity to compete and collaborate in the international research arena. To this end, students will be engaged in research, educational, and cultural activities for up to two years. Prior to IRES, students will participate in animal and research training, grant proposal development, and Spanish language courses. During IRES, students will develop behavioral and genetic research skills, giving them a broad research ?toolkit.? Collaborations with Chilean counterparts will enhance their international network of peers and potential collaborators. After IRES, students will prepare manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals and present their results at regional and national meetings. An important aim of the program is to broaden the impacts of the project by promoting international research and STEM education in the greater Chattanooga, Tennessee area. To this end, IRES students will consult with University of Tennessee at Chattanooga engineering students regarding the design of a new prairie dog exhibit at the Chattanooga Zoo, an organization located in inner-city Chattanooga and serving a diverse constituency. In collaboration with students from the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy (a STEM-focused middle & high school serving mostly minority & economically disadvantaged girls), the IRES students will study the behavior of the prairie dogs and other social animals at the zoo. Undergraduate students in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga?s STEM teacher preparation program ? a pathway into secondary STEM classrooms for talented STEM majors ? will incorporate some of the projects into STEM educational activities for science classes at the high school. Activities will be highlighted in a documentary segment to be aired on a local Public Broadcasting Station.Non-technical abstractOver a three-year period, this award will provide 6 undergraduate and 6 graduate students from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and other institutions with the opportunity to gain international research experience in Chile. In collaboration with researchers at the Universidad de Chile and Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, students will study the composition of social groups and reproductive consequences of group-living among the degu (Octodon degus), a rodent found only in Chile. The aim of the work is to determine if the reproductive consequences of group-living are habitat-dependent or depend on the extent to which degus live with close relatives. To this end, the students will study degu social groups in two populations. They will also conduct genetic analyses to determine if females live with close relatives and if the number of young that females produce is dependent on the size and composition of the groups in which they live. This research will make important contributions to the discipline of behavioral ecology. The program will develop the professional skills and cultural understanding of students, increasing the likelihood for success of projects and the international competitiveness of students. To this end, students will be engaged in research, educational, and cultural activities for up to two years. Prior to IRES, students will receive animal and research training, write grant proposals, and take Spanish courses. During IRES, students will develop research skills that will make them competitive for graduate programs and research careers. Collaborations with Chilean counterparts will enhance their international networking. After IRES, students will prepare manuscripts for publication in scientific journals and present their results at regional and national meetings. An important aim of the program is to broaden the impacts of the project by promoting international research and STEM education in the greater Chattanooga, Tennessee area. To this end, IRES students will consult with University of Tennessee at Chattanooga engineering students regarding the design of a new prairie dog exhibit at the Chattanooga Zoo, an organization located in inner-city Chattanooga and serving a diverse constituency. In collaboration with students from the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy (a STEM-focused middle & high school serving mostly minority & economically disadvantaged girls), the IRES students will study the behavior of the prairie dogs and other social animals at the zoo. Undergraduate students in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga?s STEM teacher preparation program ? a pathway into secondary STEM classrooms for talented STEM majors ? will incorporate some of the projects into STEM educational activities for science classes at the high school. Activities will be highlighted in a documentary segment to be aired on a local Public Broadcasting Station.